148 Excursion from. Croydon to Belgrnve. [vo['^xx^iii 



EXCURSION FROM CROYDON TO BELGRAVE. 



A PLEASANT moming greeted tlie excursion party, which 

 (Quitted the Healesville train at Croydon on Saturday, I4tli 

 Octol)er. Owing to the distance to be traversed, the coaches 

 were utihzed to Montrose, at the foot of Mount Dandenong 

 (about 4 J miles), where another member joined us, making a 

 total of fifteen, including six ladies. Here the Swamp Paper- 

 bark, Melaleuca ericifolia. Woolly Tea-tree, Leptospermum 

 lanigerum, and Golden Bush-Pea, PultencBa Giinnii, were found 

 in good flowering condition on the banks of a small creek. The 

 road up the mountain, which rises about 800 feet in the first 

 mile and a half to the " Devil's Elbow," was now taken. Along 

 it various plants were blooming freely, such as the Pink-Eyes, 

 Tetratheca ciliata. Twining Glycine, Glycine clandestina. Blue 

 Pincushion, Brunonia aitstralis, Alpine Grevillea, Grevillea 

 alpina. Golden Goodia, Goodia lotifolia. Austral Indigo, 

 Indigofera australis. and Wonga Tecoma, Tecoma aiistralis, the 

 latter twining about some sapling " Messmates," Eucalyptus 

 ohliqua — the prevailing gum on this part of the range. In 

 addition to the plants, delightful views across the country 

 towards the Yarra Valley and towards Melbourne can be obtained 

 at every turn of the road. The pace was necessarily slow, 

 which gave time to chat about the different objects of interest. 

 At the "Devil's Elbow" some enjoyed a rest, while others 

 secured specimens of the Ridge Snow-Bush, Olearia {Aster) 

 steUulata, var. lirata, and the Myrsine Aster, 0. myrsinoides, 

 var. erubescens, and various other smaller flowers. Turning 

 southerly, we soon reached " The Gap," from whence a fine 

 view in an easterly direction was obtained, the Warburton 

 hills being very prominent, with the Baw Baws further away. 

 We were too late for the majority of the acacias, with their 

 golden blooms, though it is quite possible that the continuous 

 rains of September considerably shortened their flowering 

 period. Following the road and track to Observatory Peak, 

 we had still three or four hundred feet to ascend before we 

 reached the " trig." station and shelter-shed on Mount 

 Dandenong, 2,070 feet above sea-level. Pimelea axiflora was 

 in evidence along our path in many places, and the common 

 name for this plant, " Rice-flower," appealed to all as being 

 very appropriate, the flowers hanging like rice-grains all over 

 the plants. Several of the green-hood orchids (Pterostylis), 

 the Bird Orchid, Chiloglottis Gimnii, and Spider Orchid, 

 Caladenia Pater soni, were also collected. From the look-out 

 fine views in various directions are obtainable, which, of course, 

 depend somewhat on the state of the atmosphere. Hazy 

 conditions prevailed towards Melbourne (twenty miles distant), 

 and prevented us from picking out the more prominent land- 



