Dec, 1909.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 103 



having large girths of stem for a great height. One giant 

 specimen, which is dead, and must have been lying there for a 

 number of years unobserved, has recently been made an 

 object of interest to passers-by along, the track, owing 

 to its having been opened up to view and a footbridge built 

 on to its bole. We tape-measured this specimen and found 

 the diameter of its uprooted stem-base to be 14 feet. At 

 32 feet from its base the stem circumference measured 28 

 feet 6 inches, and the length of stem along which persons 

 may walk proved to be 165 feet ; the diameter at that 

 distance from the base being 2 feet. Adjacent to this specimen is 

 a living one, which, at a height of as far as we could reach, was 

 found to have a stem circumference of 22 feet. Within a short 

 distance from these giants some large and splendid examples of 

 Blackwood and Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata), were observed, 

 many of the latter reaching to a height of 60 feet, with stems of 

 nearly iS inches diameter. Three isolated patches of tea-tree, of 

 a species yet to be accurately determined, were noticed in the 

 broad bed of the creek near here, where, also, was passed through 

 one of the densest groves of Dicksonia tree-ferns seen during the 

 day. The tea-tree specimens referred to were taller than most of 

 those in our party had ever observed before, being from 40 to 50 

 feet in height. We reached the source of the creek, close to the 

 Sherbrooke road, at a distance of about a quarter of a mile from 

 where it branches from the Ferntree Gully road. At the head of 

 the creek were again found some large Blackwood trees and dense 

 undergrowths of Olearia stelhdata in full bloom, interspersed with 

 tree-ferns. Some strong-growing young plants were a puzzle for a 

 time to determine, owing to their rank growth and undeveloped 

 flower-heads ; these were proved by maturer specimens found 

 later to be Pimelea ligustrina. Another monster dead Eucalyptus 

 was seen lying close to the track leading out to Ferntree Gully 

 road ; the stem measurement of this one was found to be over 

 160 feet, with an average diameter of over 4 feet. On the journey 

 from the Falls to the head of the creek several members were 

 engaged in searching for entomological specimens and noting the 

 various birds observed. The following plants, in addition to 

 those already mentioned, were found to be in flower : — Cassinia 

 aculeata, Helichrijsuvi ferrugineuin, Senecio vagus, Stellaria 

 /laccida, Drosera Menziesii, Pimelea axijlora, Lomatia Fraseri, 

 Asperula Gunnii, Glycine clandestina, Ranunculus lappaceus, 

 Hibbertia stricta, and Geranium dissectiom. 



At a quarter to 4 p.m. we started on the journey of about 3I 

 miles along the road to Ferntree Gully, noting very few plants in 

 flower other than those already mentioned. Clematis arisiata 

 was, however, commencing to fully bloom, and Dipplarrhena 

 morcea, while the Acacias stricta, leprosa, and verticillata were 



