172 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV. 



specting the various indigenous and introduced trees and plants 

 which find a home there. The property is bounded by the Watts 

 or Maroondah River, and opportunity was afforded of seeing some 

 magnificent Silver Wattles, Acacia dealbata, in seed; several fine 

 Manna Gums, Eucalyptus viminalis, some of which were in bloom 

 and some had just shed their bark and presented beautiful clean 

 white trunks, hence the vernacular name "White Gum; " many fine 

 Blackwoods, Acacia melanoxylon, bearing masses of reddish-brown 

 seed-pods, which are particularly persistent in this species. 

 Younger plants of this acacia showed several interesting stages of 

 phyllodization. On some of the larger Blackwoods the Mistletoe, 

 Loranthus Quandang, had found a footing, and was surely killing 

 its host. This parasite was in the flowering stage. On the banks 

 of the river were the Native Currant, Coprosma Billardieri^ the 

 Tree Violet, Hymenantheo-a Banksii (both in fruit), and a beautiful 

 specimen of Lomatia longijolia. In the grounds, among many 

 other fine plants, were noticed the Tulip Tree, Liriodendron 

 tulipijera, and Catalpa hignonioides of the United States, a most 

 useful timber tree. The Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus glandidosa, 

 was covered with the red-coloured seed-pods, and presented a 

 fine sight. Among the other trees were oaks, sycamores, elms, 

 lindens, willows, many acacias, with rhododendrons and other 

 garden species. A fine Acacia Baileyana was pointed out, the 

 trunk and branches of which are perfectly riddled with the borings 

 of the larvae of the Wattle Goat-moth, Zeuzera eucalypti, while, as 

 if to complete the work of destruction, Loranthus Quandang had 

 taken possessson of the smaller branches. Birds find the grounds 

 quite a sanctuary, and are much more plentiful there than in the 

 surrounding bush. After paying a visit to the orchard and 

 sampling various kinds of edible fruits, the waning day told us it 

 was time to adjourn homewards. 



On Sunday morning an early start was made for the new weir 

 on the Coranderrk or Badger Creek, distant about five miles 

 from the town. Our party was augmented by another member, 

 who had come up by the evening train on Saturday, and my two 

 boys, who are both keen observers. Passing through the town- 

 ship to the Don road we passed a small quarry in the silurian 

 formation in which the strata are almost vertical. Our route 

 was now south-easterly tcnvards the magnificent cone-like range 

 of Mt. Riddell. Along the road were seen many species of 

 eucalypts, mostly dwarf and scrubby, such as E. Stuartiana, 

 eleophora, amygdalina, with the larger E. ohliqua in bloom — 

 the earliest here flowering, and reminding one that it was the first of 

 the genus discovered and described, I'Heritier giving to it the 

 generic name in allusion to the calyx-lobes of the flowers forming a 

 lid or covering to the stamens, &c. ; previously it had been slightly 

 known by the name Aromadendron, given to the genus by Dr. 



