192 O'DoNOGHUE AND St. John, Aloug the Lerderderg. [^'^Feb^^'* 



Parting from the old man, we proceeded along the course of a 

 water race that had been excavated in the vertical Silurian 

 strata. Dodonseas, heavily burdened with seed-vessels, and 

 luxuriant specimens of Rhagodia Billardieri abounded. Here 

 and there Celsia cretica — an introduced species of the 

 Scrophularineae — grew among the rocks, and, in sheltered 

 places, the ferns Grammitis nitifolia and Cheilanthes tenui folia. 

 The comparatively narrow flat margining the river's tortuous 

 course was overgrown by sturdy specimens of Hymenanthera 

 Banksii, and these, in turn, by Clematis microphylla. Amid 

 the covert afforded by these growths the New Holland Honey- 

 eater was to be discerned in scores. Blue Wrens and White- 

 shafted Fantails were also in evidence, attracted thither possibly 

 by the insects disturbed from the Hymenanthera by the honey- 

 eaters. 



The Silurian formation was soon succeeded by the glacial 

 beds of the district. These formed abrupt clifts of greater or 

 less height. Along the crest Indigofera Australis, Dianella 

 revoluta, and the acacias A. pycnaittha, A. montana, and .4. 

 acinacea were often noted. At the base of the cliffs, occu- 

 pying more congenial soil, Myoporiun viscosuin and M. deserti 

 flourished ; in company grew the Wild Tobacco, Nicotiana 

 siiaveolens, and the Kangaroo Apple, Solanwn aviculare, all 

 being in full bloom, the flowers of the latter being besieged 

 by numerous butterflies. 



In the sandy loam capping the glacial conglomerate the 

 freshly excavated tunnels of the Orange-tipped. Pardalote 

 were noted. The birds were often seen, and their calls were 

 as monotonous as the rush of the river on our right. Here- 

 abouts a Blackbird was flushed from a Bottle-brush, Callistemon 

 salignus. The bird, as a rule, does not range so far from 

 the haunts of men. Here, too, a splendid specimen of the 

 Blue Gum, Eucalyptus globulus, was met with, bearing carpels 

 altogether different from the typical form. One of us, who 

 has probably the largest and most varied collection of 

 Eucalyptus carpels in the State, has nothing among his specimens 

 of Eucalyptus globulus, coflected in various parts of Victoria, that 

 compare with those gathered from this particular tree. The 

 Woolly Tea-tree, Leptospermum lanigerum, was occasionally 

 seen, and the Mistletoe, Loranthus pendulus, proved to be more 

 than usually abundant. About mid-day we paused for lunch 

 beneath a large tree of Acacia ^noniana — a glorious sight 

 with its golden-yellow blooms. Near by the rums of an old 

 hut the introduced Iris sub-biflora flourished and displayed 

 its blooms unravished by any wanton hands. The sward 

 on which we rested comprised Stellaria pungens, Hydrocotyle 

 hirta, Ajuga Australis, Cymbonotus Lawsonianus, and Myosotis 



