May, 1908.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 5 



Native Pepper, and Heclycarya Gicnninghamii, showed that these 

 shrubs are not confined entirely to the higher altitude. 



After breakfast our party, increased by a lady and gentleman 

 staying at the hotel, who desired to see the beauties of Malleson's 

 Glen, had to requisition another vehicle, and after packing 

 supplies for lunch, got away about 9.30. Though only five miles, 

 the drive occupied nearly two hours, as after the first mile the 

 road is all on the up-grade, and was rather rutty and dusty. This 

 portion of the trip was dealt with so fully by Mr. A. D. Hardy in his 

 report of the excursion in November, 1903 (F. iV^., xx., 116), that 

 there is little left for me to say. However, I may just recall the 

 fact that the road is never far from the Don River, as it ascends 

 the range, and as we now and again turn a bend in the road we 

 get glimpses of a delightful valley, now partially cleared, and 

 planted with various crops. Opposite to us on our left is the hill 

 or range known as Toole-be-wong, on which is situated the well- 

 known boarding-house " Nyora." On our right we have the range, 

 the top of which is known as " Ben Cairn Rock," an area of bare 

 rock some eight or ten acres in extent, from which a very fine 

 view of the Yarra valley down to Melbourne is obtainable. This, 

 from its appearance from other parts of the district, must be close 

 on 4,000 feet above sea-level. About 11.30 we reached the bend 

 where the road crosses the Don River and turns westerly 

 towards Healesville. This was our destination, and is, perhaps, 

 1,500 feet above Launching Place, or 1,800 feet above sea-level. 

 Though early, it was determined to lunch at once, and so save 

 coming back in a short time for that procedure, so while some set 

 out the table and boiled the billy, others started observations in 

 this charming spot. About a hundred yards from the entrance gate, 

 under some spreading tree ferns clothed with the greenest of filmy 

 ferns, mosses, &c., we lunched and enjoyed the murmur of the 

 mountain stream rushing by at our feet. Mr. Hardy in his notes 

 about Malleson's Glen wrote in so poetic a strain that I am com- 

 pelled to keep to prose, hut let me say that Malleson's Glen is 

 to my mind one of the best and easiest of places to which a 

 visitor from another country can be taken to see our mountain 

 vegetation to perfection. Since the last visit of the Club, 

 mainly through the efforts of your committee, about 722 acres 

 here, on both sides of the stream, have been permanently reserved 

 for public purposes, and unless despoiled by bush-fires it is 

 likely to remain in its present state for many years. Timber 

 cutting was stopped just in time, and though there are a number 

 of fine specimens of the so-called Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus 

 amygdalina, still I doubt whether it would pay to attempt to 

 get them out. One need not go far up stream to see specimens 

 of that graceful tree, the Native Beech, Fagus Cunninghamii, and 

 we were pleased to find along the path several seedlings, which, 



