156 Patox, The Buffalo Plateau in January. [vXx'xxiv. 



which \vc proceed along the road to Carlile's, then by a track 

 across the valley to the appropriately-named " Crystal Brook," 

 and follow up the course of the stream. The banks of the 

 stream are clothed with slirubs, amongst which are liriostemoii 

 alpinits, (ircvillea parvi/loya. Pimclea li'^iistrina, and Prostanihera 

 cuneata, with stray ilowers of Bossum foliosa. Tn the boggy 

 ground are Liniim marginalc, Lotus corniculatus. the prostrate 

 Azorella cuneifolia, Veronica nivea, Prasophyllum patens, P. 

 fuscinn, Xerotes longifolia, and the beautiful little fern Lomaria 

 alpina. As the valley narrows Gastrodia sesamoides, Geranium 

 dissectiim, Rubus parvifolius, and Accena ovina flourish on the 

 forested slopes. After proceeding some distance we follow a 

 finger-post direction, and after some scrambling, by a track 

 up the right-hand slope, the "Castle" is reached. It com- 

 mands a good view of North Buffalo and portion of the main 

 plateau. Near the " Castle," on the opposite side of the 

 valley, are Lady Carmichael's Falls, but the trickle of water 

 coming over at the time of our visit aroused no enthusiasm. 



On Monday morning we walked to Lyre-Bird Hill, of which 

 something will be said later. In the ravine below the lake we 

 found the conifer Nageia alpina, and at various points near 

 the lake Drimys aromatica, Boronia algida, Stackhousia viminea, 

 Daviesia ulicina, Asperula oligantha, Thysanotns tubcrosus (very 

 fine), much Lomaria alpina, and others. We spent the after- 

 noon in more thoroughly examining the Gorge and its sur- 

 roundings and the valley behind. Besides the plants already 

 mentioned we found Leptospermum flavescens, Pterostylis parvi- 

 flora, Pteris arguta, Pullencea mollis (flowers withered), and, in 

 the valley, Gentiana saxosa, Epacris serpillifolia, Drosera peltata, 

 Scleranlhus biflorus (in cushion-like tufts), Hydrocotylc hirta, 

 Aciphylla simplicifolia, and Isotoma fluviatilis. 



Tuesday was given up to an expedition down tlie Gorge, 

 under the guidance of .Mr. NCwtoii. r\issing " Echo Point." 

 on the south wall, where a threefold echo is returned, wc com- 

 mence the rugged descent. A little way down is the " Mushroom 

 Rock," a huge- block of granite supported on a slender pedicel. 

 Here the real descent commences. h'ollowing a precarious 

 track, scrambling dowr. between and over rocks, chnging to 

 grass-tussocks, horizontally or diagonally, over steep slopes, 

 we descend about 1,000 feet, then jjroceed horizontally to an 

 inviting fern-bower under " Bent's Look-out." From above 

 this appears at the bottom of the Gorge, but is really little 

 more than half-way. Here we find a welcome change from 

 the barren side of the Gorge to the coolness of ferny shades. 

 Climbing amongst the ferns we come to a pleasant grotto 

 beneath overhanging rock, where; we arc glad to rest awhile. 

 The chief ferns here arc Dicksonia aniarclica, Aspidimn 



