228 Barnard, A Day on Mount Disappointment. [ ^^\pr^'^^' 



A DAY ON MOUNT DISAPPOINTMENT. 

 By F. G. a. Barnard. 



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



Notwithstanding the somewhat ominous name of the 

 highest point of the Hume Range (as that part of the main 

 Dividing Range about the sources of the Plenty River is 

 officially called), I had long wanted to set foot on the historic 

 spot from whence, nearly ninety years before, those adven- 

 turous spirits Hume and Hovell, the first white men to tread 

 its forest slopes, had vainly sought signs of the sea on the 

 distant horizon. On suggesting the trip to two of our members, 

 Messrs. D. Best and C. French, jim., they readily agreed to share 

 in the attempt. I may say at the outset that I was not satisfied 

 with the results of the Club excursion to the Plenty watershed 

 in November, 1908 {Vict. Nat., Dec, igo8, vol. xxv., p. 130), 

 as on that occasion we did not really get on to the granite 

 formation, which occupies at least half of the Toorourrong 

 basin, and on which I had. great hopes of finding a more inter- 

 esting fauna and flora than met with during the excursion. 



As our outing was somewhat of a disappointment, a few notes 

 about the day's adventures may, perhaps, be of use to other 

 members who may be seized with the wish to set foot on the 

 summit of the Plenty Ranges. 



Whittlesea was, of course, our base, and, so as to have plenty 

 of time for our exploration, we went up by the evening train 

 on the previous day, and, securing accommodation at the local 

 coffee palace, were promised breakfast as early as we wished 

 on the morrow. Consequently, 7.30 a.m. saw us setting out 

 for Toorourrong, for, though by the maps Mt. Disappointment 

 is due north of Whittlesea, and distant just six miles, one has 

 to make a detour to the east, in order to take advantage of a 

 spur which leads up from the south-west corner of the reservoir, 

 thus adding at least two miles to the journey. The path along 

 the aqueduct is the pleasantest way of getting to Toorourrong, 

 but we found the bridge over the Scrubby Creek so barricaded 

 with barbed wire that it was necessary to make a detour to 

 the bridge on the Yea road. Striking across the paddocks, we 

 soon got back to the aqueduct enclosure, which was entered 

 near the syphon. Here the sharp eyes of Mr. French detected 

 a rust (a micro-fungus) on the Kangaroo Grass, Anthistiria 

 ciliata ; and, as this was a desideratum Mr. McAlpine had 

 urged him to be on the look-out for, specimens were eagerly 

 gathered, and placed in envelopes for future examination. 

 It was rather disappointing to learn a few days later 

 that the species, Cintractia exserta, McAlp., would have been 

 new to science had it not been sent in a short time 



