136 O'DONOGHUE AND Sx. JOHN, [v^r'xxtx. 



un])k'asaiit. Conditions were eminently favourable to the 

 gi'ovvth of orchids, for in a short distance Ptcrostylis nutans, 

 P. nana, P. curia, P. vitUita, and P. longijolia, Glossociia major, 

 Corysanihes pruinosa, Acianthus exsertus, and Caladcnia 

 (leforinis were gathered. The beautiful blue flowers of the 

 last-mentioned were excej^tionally fine. Sturdy specimens of 

 Acacia melanoxylon abounded, and, being in full bloom, 

 rendered the air in their neighbourhood redolent of perfume. 



Emerging from a " ringed " area of forest land, we found 

 ourselves on a bold basaltic ridge that terminated abru])tly in 

 the angle formed by the junction of the Little River and 

 Reilly's Creek. The lava appeared to have infilled an old 

 valley in the plateau, and to have become, by the removal of 

 the sedimentary rock on either side, a long ridge little inferior 

 in elevation to the much older encompassing formation. The 

 ridge was destitute of timber, but nourished a thick sward of 

 short, green grass. The view to the right and left was circum- 

 scribed, but directly in front, through a gap in the contour of 

 the range, the You Yangs showed up plainly, and beyond them 

 the waters of the bay. Casuarina snberosa occurred near the 

 ridge. 



Near the junction of the two streams previously referred to 

 several large trees of /:. leucoxylon were in full l)lossom. In the 

 spreading heads Pennant's Parrakeet, the Kosehill Parrakeet, 

 and the Musk Lorikeet were foraging, the ground beneath the 

 trees being littered with fallen blossoms. Large com])anies of 

 the White-winged Chough abounded, their soft, whistling call 

 being heard on all sides. The Spotted Pardalote was also 

 ])lentiful Most of these birds were engaged tunnelling under 

 the litter of decaying leaves and twigs that strewed the sloi)e to 

 the river. Crossing the Little River, we gradually worked our 

 way to the crest of a spur, along which we journeyed in a north- 

 easterly direction. Eucalyptus ruhida and E. paiudosa were 

 noted hereabouts. In our many descents from the crests of 

 \'arious ridges we made the accpiaintance of several small and 

 delightful valleys. One in jjarticular. thickly carjx'ted witli 

 tufted Meadow-grass. Poa cccspitosa, and margined liy a 

 wilderness of Golden Wattles, all in the height of flowering 

 splendour, appeared to be the home of honey-eaters. But in 

 this veritable Eden all seemed to have some mutual difference 

 to adjust. A dozen White- j)lumed Honey-eaters might be 

 seen indulging in a rough-and-tumlile on the grassy sward a 

 few yards away. A nearly r(|ual nunil)er of New Hollands 

 fought likt' denions amid a liuiicli of granite fern. A large 

 troupe of Spiiu-bills indulged in a luiming figlit amid the 

 wattle, and on several occasions pugnacious birds, devoid for 

 the time being of fear of man, fought within hand-gras]). The 



