2o8 A\5r>KS,y Recent Botanical Investigations [^^MardT^' 



RECENT BOTANICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT WILSON'S 



PROMONTORY. 



By J. W. AuDAS, Assistant, National Herbarium, Melbourne. 



[Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, i^th Jan., 191 1.) 



On this occasion, being my third exploration of the National 

 Park, Wilson's Promontory, accompanied by Mr. P. R. H. St. 

 John, of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, I left the metropolis 

 by the 6.30 a.m. train on the i8th October for Fish Creek, 

 which was reached about noon, where Mr. J. F. Falls, of that 

 town, awaited us at the railway station with conveyances : 

 and, after a hasty lunch, we started on a drive of thirty miles 

 to the Darby River, reaching there about 7 p.m. 



The country was undulating, and the road led through what 

 must formerly have been a fine forest of eucalypts, which, rung 

 by the settlers, now stood gaunt and dry, the principal species 

 noted being Eucalyptus regnans, the so-called " Blackbutt," 

 many of which appeared to be fully 250 feet high. 



When passing over the Hoddle Range the leguminous shrub, 

 PuUencea daphiwidcs, was to be seen in the height of bloom, 

 extending in bright yellow patches to the tops of the hills. 

 From one of these summits we obtained a glorious view of the 

 ranges traversing the Promontory, and a picturesque glimpse 

 of Corner Inlet in the distance. Thence we descended into 

 fiat country, whose natural boggy state was somewhat 

 aggravated by recent rains, and experienced great difficulty 

 in getting through the worst places — indeed, one of our horses 

 sank to such a depth I doubted if he would ever reach te>ra 

 fir ma again. 



On reaching Shallow Inlet the tide was out, and we were 

 fortunate in being able to travel about 15 . miles along the 

 beach, which was a great relief after our experience on the 

 boggy roads. This route led us over a portion known as " The 

 Drift," where moving sands form into large dunes, which are 

 continually shifting about ; but a little further on I noticed 

 this migratory tendency was held in subjection by two binding 

 grasses, Spinifex hirsutus and Festuca littoralis. Here we 

 observed numbers of Swans and Sea Curlews, while running 

 along the beach were Pacific Gulls, Dottrels, and Sooty Oyster- 

 catchers. 



Turning inland, we wended our way to Mr. Falls' estate at 

 Darby River, where a camping-house is erected, and after some 

 refreshment we were glad to retire at once, in order to be ready 

 for an early start on the following morning ; but, weary though 

 we were, sleep was denied us, as we were kept awake by the 

 continuous croaking of frogs in adjacent water-holes, each 

 species of frog having a different croak. The effect of this 



