March, 1909.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 183 



effected by division of the remaining roots. Carina edulis, 

 Edwards and Ker, and Manihot utilissima^ Pohl., are two starch- 

 producing plants which, when better known, will be more ex- 

 tensively cultivated in our State. The Kapok Tree is grown, not 

 for commercial purposes, but for its ornafnental qualities. I 

 greatly admired the large leaves of the Teak Tree, Tectona grandis, 

 Lin. f., some attaining a size of 6 feet in length by 20 inches in 

 breadth. It is a deciduous tree, and its timber is greatly esteemed 

 by ship-builders. A special plantation is set apart for cultivating 

 tea, coffee, and cocoa. 



Having thanked Mr. Malcolm for his courtesy, I returned to 

 the railway station. On the way thither my attention was 

 attracted by the prolific growth of the Chinese Burr, Triumfetta 

 rhomboidea, Jacq., which was quite a scourge, having literally 

 overrun the place. It is a soft-wooded shrub of the order 

 Tiliaceae, attaining the height of about five feet, bearing yellow 

 flowers, the seed of which resembles Bathurst Burr. Another 

 pest, flourishing beneath the Chinese Burr, was the Red Head 

 or Milky Cotton Bush, Asclepias curassavica, L. 



In and around Redlynch, which is situated on a delta of the 

 Barron River, the banana is extensively cultivated, and other 

 tropical fruits. Onward from Redlynch for the next 15 miles, 

 our route wandered over mountain ranges, displaying a charming 

 variety of tropical vegetation telling its own tale of abundant rain 

 and heat. The train climbed upwards, negotiating steep grades, 

 and at times creeping along treacherous-looking cliffs, till at last 

 we came in sight of the Stony Creek Falls. Ten minutes was 

 allowed here to view the falls, which descend in a winding stream 

 from a fern-covered height of 300 feet, and are situated so close 

 to the railway line that the foam has been known to splash over 

 the cars. Overlooking the gorge of the Barron River stands a 

 pinnacle of reddish-grey granite, the outer fragment of a shoulder 

 through which the line was cut. It was formerly called Italian 

 Rock, because a descendant of that sunny land had hoisted his 

 national flag upon it, but it is now known as Robb's Monument, 

 because the late Mr. John Robb, of Melbourne, was the con- 

 tractor who built that portion of the line. It is said that 

 dynamite plugs had actually been placed for its overthrow, but, 

 fortunately, someone with an eye for the picturesque urged its 

 preservation. 



We passed through many tunnels, but the longest (about 

 two miles) was met with just before reaching the Barron 

 Falls. From the railway station, situated at the falls, a pathway 

 has been cut through the tropical vegetation, which enables visitors 

 to go down almost to the water's edge. At the tinie of my 

 visit the falls were only at about half flood, but I considered the 

 volume of water rolling down in all directions from a height of 

 700 feet to be a magnificent spectacle. How much finer must it 



