Vict. Nat. 



232 Barnard, A Day on Mount Disappointment. [ ''''5{prn 



homewards, though not before securing the highest situated 

 specimen of Aspidium aculeatiim as a reminder of our visit. 

 We naturally found the descent a great deal easier, and turned 

 off again at the spring for a welcome drink, as the day was 

 warm and the luncheons rather dry. Before leaving, a few 

 small specimens of Osmunda barbara, Lomaria capensis, and 

 Pteris incisa were secured as mementoes of our visit. Higher 

 up, Asplenium piabellifGlium and Aspidium aculeatiim had been 

 seen among the rocks. A beautiful pair of King Parrots, 

 Aprosmidus cyanopygius, for which these ranges are noted, 

 was disturbed from a log. 



When we got back to the grass-trees we sat down a while to 

 rest, when some of Dr. Hall's remarks in his paper, " Ungarnered 

 Grain," came to our minds, and the following queries suggested 

 themselves as requiring solution. Why were ah the grass- trees 

 around us in the same stage ? All had flower stems two or 

 three years old, not one showing signs of a new season's growth. 

 Does a grass-tree flower more than once ? Is the statement 

 correct that they require to be scorched by a bush fire in order 

 to induce flowering ? Who will answer these simple questions ? 

 Again, seeing that this country has been burned so often, and 

 is so rough to booted feet, how did the barefooted aboriginals 

 manage to get about in it ? Prof. Ewart's remarks in the in- 

 troduction to his work on " The Weeds, &c., of Victoria " were 

 brought home to us at seeing the thoroughly burnt-out 

 appearance of the soil round about — barely any evidences of 

 humus left. Animal life of every sort was almost absent, 

 though signs of wombats were occasionally seen. 



On reaching the Cleared Hill, to save going over it we took 

 a bridle track which we noticed on our left, which led us round 

 the hill, and so saved a good climb. This revealed to us one 

 of the finest sights of the day — the basin of Toorourrong as a 

 sea of tree-tops. Straight in front of us was Cleeland's Hill, 

 and the saddle over which the Club passed in November, 1908. 

 Further ahead was the high hill overlooking the cascades. 

 The tops of Mounts St. Leonard (near Toolangi) and Monda 

 (near Healesville) just showed over the Sugarloaf Range, while 

 " Howat's Look-out " and the Yan Yean completed the notable 

 sights. 



The track led us back to the fence, and in half an hour we 

 were down again at the lake-side finishing our luncheons. We 

 had an hour before we need set out for Whittlesea, so a short 

 stroll was taken along the final part of the Jack's Creek aque- 

 duct. Here we made one of the most remarkable captures of 

 the day, for which Mr. French's sharp eyes were again re- 

 sponsible. He called attention to a mouse-like creature walking 

 u}) the jntchers of the channel, and, quickly crossing a foot- 

 bridge which was handy, caught the animal as it ran into a 



