134 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV, 



if not as profitable from a naturalist's point of view as was 

 expected, proved a most enjoyable one. But our homeward train 

 journey proved the reverse of pleasant. Although announced at 

 the station to start at 8.30 p.m. the train did not leave until 

 9.30 p.m., and when, after a weary journey of over tv/o hours, 

 with every compartment crowded to the utmost, we arrived at 

 Spencer-street at 20 minutes to 12 p.m., we had to hurriedly 

 disperse to catch our midnight trains for the suburbs. 



Close attention was paid by Mr. G. Anderson to the birds seen. 

 He records just fifty species for the outing, and, in addition to 

 those already mentioned, the following were noted : — Crow, 

 Sooty Crow-Shrike, Rosella Parrot, King Parrot, Brown Hawk, 

 Kestrel, White-breasted and Black-breasted Cormorants, Dab- 

 chick, Black Duck, Black Swan, White Cockatoo, Fan-tailed and 

 Bronze Cuckoos, Yellow-rumped Tit, Reed-Warbler, Brown Tree- 

 creeper, Yellow-tailed Tit, Fire-tailed Finch, White-shafted and 

 Rufous Fantails, White-fronted Char, Welcome Swallow, Stubble 

 Quail, Brown Song-Lark, and White-plumed and White-eared 

 Honey-eaters. 



For some remarks on the botany of the outing I am indebted 

 to my co-leader, Dr. C. S. Sutton, who, however, was only able 

 to be with us on the first day. He says : — " The botanical 

 results of the excursion were disappointing. Many plants 

 which were confidently expected to occur were not seen, 

 and there were absolutely no surprises, nothing out of the 

 ordinary being collected. In the course of an early morning 

 ramble the fine, conspicuous yellow flowers of Hihhertia ohtusi- 

 iolia were fairly common on a dry hillside. We had decided 

 to traverse the valley of the Running Creek, but, after pro- 

 ceeding some distance, found that unfortunately the country 

 had been swept by bush-fires some time previously, and, owing 

 to continued dry seasons, was but slowly renewing its floral 

 covering. Had we continued a couple of miles further into the 

 granite country plants of greater interest would probably have 

 been met with. Quite the most persistent and prevalent species 

 was Stellaria pungens ; its white star flowers appeared everywhere. 

 The flowers of the purple fringed-lily, Thysanotus tuberosus, were 

 frequent in one part. The broom tea-tree, Leptospermum 

 scoparium, was just about to blossom, but L. Ianigeru7n, which 

 occurred sparingly along the margin of the lake, was in full bloom. 

 While descending the ridge which separates the creek from its 

 neighbours several fine bushes of Grevillea alpina, covered with 

 their singular red and yellow flowers, were noted. Among the 

 orchids seen perhaps the most uncommon was Gastrodia 

 sesamoides, the long, horizontal tuber of which seemed to terminate 

 in the root of a bracken fern. Prasophyllum Australe and the 

 pretty Caladenia Menziesii were fairly common in one locality, 



