6 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV. 



as I have mentioned on previous occasions, make very pretty pot 

 plants. The Sassafras, Atherosperma moschatum, was in fruit, 

 and specimens were secured. After Umch four of the party set 

 out with the view of getting to the head of the stream if possible, 

 the others exploring round about. The path keeps alongside 

 the stream, and soon becomes only a sign here and there. We 

 closely scanned the vegetation as we ascended, but did not add 

 anything of great interest to our knowledge. Zieria Smiihii, a 

 rutaceous shrub with strong-smelling leaves ; the Native Ash, 

 Panax samhucifolius, a stately shrub in its early stages ; some 

 of the so-called Kangaroo Apples, Solamim aviculare, bearing 

 numbers of large green globular fruits, were fairly common. The 

 day was now rather hot, and though we were sheltered from the 

 north wind, still the pale green fronds of Aspidium umbrosum 

 drooped, and showed that it was more than they were accus- 

 tomed to. This fern, by the way, I consider rewards the grower 

 as much or more than any of our others for trouble taken with 

 it, its chief points being that it recovers quickly from neglect in 

 watering, increases rapidly from the root stock, and is not much 

 troubled with scale or other insect pests. Lomaria fluviatilis and 

 L. lanceolata, with its pink midrib, both pretty ferns, are here very 

 luxuriant, the latter being much more frequent. Surely L. al2nna 

 and perhaps L. Patersoni should be found higher up if we have 

 time. A look-out was kept for Pteris comans — very like the 

 Batswing or Oak Fern, P. incisa — and once we thought we had 

 found it, but close examination showed it to be P. incisa in fruit. 

 Some fine beeches, with gnarled trunks fully three feet through, 

 occur higher up, and the ground was carpeted with their fallen 

 leaves. We were still climbing, and an examination of the com- 

 pass showed that we had imperceptibly turned towards the east. 

 At last the faint track seemed to lead us up on the hillside, and we 

 got into a thicket of Hazel, Pomaderris apetala, and other vegeta- 

 tion, which was very difficult to get through, so we struck down to 

 the stream, and again found signs of the track. Further on, 

 however, it does lead up along the hillside, and somebody had 

 recently slashed down the vegetation, making it more passable. 

 Hereabouts was a fine growth of the grass Poa (Glyceria) dives, 

 known as " wild oats," and a quantity of the seed was gathered 

 for home cultivation. Again our track led down to the stream 

 and seemed to stop. As we had been tramping for three hours, 

 we decided to return the way we had come. No survey seems to 

 have yet been made of this portion of the country, so any heights 

 and distances I give are merely guesswork, but I estimate that we 

 had traversed about four miles from the road, and ascended 

 another 1,500 feet. I am inclined to think that about another 

 mile would have taken us on to the summit of Ben Cairn Rock. 

 The walk down was done in less than half the time of the ascent, 



