Feb., 1909] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 159 



rosi/oUus, similar in appearance, except that the flowers of the 

 latter were larger and white, and the leaves without the investiture 

 underneath, were in association with Solanum pungetium and 

 Urtica incisa — all plants of a prickle, and as such appropriately 

 found in company. Sarcopetalum Harveyanum, another tall, 

 woody climber, with huge ovate-acuminate leaves, some measuring 

 nearly six inches across, but without flower, was next noticed, and 

 Rliipogonum album, also only in leaf. Eustrephus Brow7iii, 

 with narrow lanceolate, yellowish, many-veined leaves, another 

 representative of the Liliaceae, was bearing orange-coloured 

 berries. Still another lily, and somewhat resembling the 

 last-named, but much more graceful, with slender leaves of 

 similar shape, was Geitonoplesiicm cymosuni. This was just 

 commencing to blossom, and we were able to gather specimens 

 with the buds of the loose cymes just opening into small white 

 flowers. Still another climber, but not yet showing any sign of 

 flower, was Vitis hypoylauca, one of the Gippsland grapes. 

 Like the Smilax, its digitate leaf-stalk bore tendrils, and its leaf- 

 buds were curiously protected by wing-like outgrowths of the 

 petiole. To complete our list of lianes, Convolvidus marginatus 

 and Kennedya rubicunda, though growing on the outskirts of the 

 scrub, may be mentioned. With them were found DavaUia dubia, 

 Pterisfalcata, Lomaria discolor, and Aspidium aculeatmn. The 

 only epiphyte seen was the little Polypodium serpens, clinging 

 closely to the bark of a giant Blackwood. 



It will be seen, even from my very imperfect description, that 

 there is in this little patch of sub-tropical vegetation, alive as a 

 part of it is with Bell-birds, Oreoica cristata, Lewin, something 

 very well worth careful preservation. When the railway is built 

 it will be only a day's journey from town. A few pounds would 

 suffice to fence it in, and it could very easily then be made to 

 contain such other plants peculiar to East Gippsland as do not at 

 present occur there, and would be a veritable botanical garden 

 for the district. I commend it in all confidence to the considera- 

 tion of the committee for the preservation of our fauna and flora. 



On the night before my last day in Orbost the heavens opened 

 again, and in the morning it was raining so hard that any idea of 

 an excursion to Mount Buck was abandoned, and I returned 

 instead to Cunninghame. The following day, the weather having 

 picked up, I decided to spend collecting in the vicinity. In 

 the morning I crossed the water to the sand-hills, and visited the 

 Signal Station and the Entrance, where the Shags and Cormorants 

 were fishing in the troubled waters with much more success than 

 the people on the silt jetties of the Mitchell. The vegetation of 

 the sand-hills somewhat resembles that at Sandringham, but the 

 species are not so numerous. Beyond a fine specimen — the only 

 one seen — of Stackhousia spathulata, with long spikes of fragrant 



