June, J Excursion to Lake Covangamite and District. 25 



the surface, and that mirage was accountable for the illusory 

 appearance which for a time duped even the experienced 

 members of the party. This lake — or, rather, lake-bed — 

 covers 2J square miles, and is nearly circular in outline. The 

 white mounds proved to be heaps of salt, apparently scraped 

 off the surface of the mud flat as it became firm enough to bear 

 man and horse. Disappointed in the search for aquatic life 

 here, a line w T as taken to return through Cororooke, passing 

 the hamlet of Warrion on the way. Here the outlook west- 

 ward is very picturesque, the Warrion Hills, Little Warrion, and 

 Coragulac Hill rising boldly from the plain. So as not to return 

 without some collecting, a call was made on the way home at 

 another point (C on map) on the shore of Corangamite, and the 

 same forms as before were obtained at a position between those 

 already worked. During the evening communication was 

 fortunately established with Mr. H. V. Vaughan, of " Te Aro," 

 Larpent, who owns a boat on the west shore of Corangamite, 

 and this gentleman kindly agreed to the party using it. On 

 Monday morning Mr. Barnard was obliged to return to town, 

 to the regret of the remainder, who proceeded by the Camper- 

 down road, calling on the way at Mr. Vaughan's for instructions 

 as to the exact locality of the boat. In the " Rises " a turn 

 was made to the right along a very rugged track for about 

 four miles, reaching a farm, to the owner of which we carried 

 a letter of introduction. The position is on the west shore of 

 Corangamite (D on map), near a peninsula which connects a hill, 

 jutting out into the lake and known as " The Island," with the 

 mainland. Some searching was necessary to locate the boat in 

 a sandy bay near " Swan Point," at the mouth of a good stream 

 of fresh water flowing into the lake. This position was very 

 interesting. The springs feeding the stream come out under- 

 neath piles of basalt, and in a few hundred yards combine to 

 give quite a considerable flow. Low ridges of weathered basalt 

 run down to the lake, and lines of detached points mark the 

 continuation of the ridges into the water. A flock of Black 

 Swans added to the interest of the scene. These masses of 

 low, rough, basaltic hillocks and ridges extend to a consider- 

 able distance on each side of Corangamite, and occur in detached 

 areas throughout the whole district traversed. The shore here 

 shelves very gradually, and the boat had to be pushed out 

 about a hundred yards before it floated. The four occupants 

 were soon fully employed in rowing, baling, and plying the 

 tow-nets. The value of the tow-net for collecting plankton 

 was well exemplified, as, besides the rotifer Pedalion, great 

 quantities of Copepoda were found at the first cast. Indeed, 

 had the party returned with only the product of netting from 

 the shore there would have been liability of a very wrong 



