26 AuDAS, The Grampians Revisited. [y^' 



Vict. Nat. 

 XXXI. 



grew near together, the latter bearing large quantities of 

 flowers, but the former was just coming into bloom. Restio 

 complanatiis was very abundant in this vicinity, and one 

 of the tea-trees, Leptospermnm lanigerwn, var. grandiflonim, 

 grew well ; its large white flowers are very handsome, 

 and it should do well under cultivation, as it is of rapid growth. 

 I was very pleased to find here all four of the Brachylomas 

 which are indigenous to Victoria ; they were B. daphnoides, 

 B. ericoides, B. depressum, and B. cUiahiin. The only member 

 of the genus Astrotricha, A. ledifolia, known to our State was 

 fairly abundant. It is often called " jNIountain Star Hair." 



The view from the mountain top also recompensed us for 

 the climb. Lake Lonsdale stretched like a gleaming sheet of 

 silver on the plain, with Glenorchy and Kupanyup (of which 

 towns it forms the water supply) in the distance. Being about 

 half way between the Grampian quarries and Hall's Gap, and 

 rising rather abruptly from the plain. Mount Difficult seems 

 to dwarf Mount Dryden into a mere hillock. The latter is 

 somewhat of a curiosity, being of basaltic formation, while the 

 greater portion of the Grampians is sandstone. Far away 

 across the plains in. an easterly direction could be seen Stawell 

 and Great Western, and nearer at hand the beautiful farming 

 centre of Fyans Creek. 



Along the table-land we wandered for three miles through 

 an area of gorgeous beauty, showing some of the finest heath, 

 Epacris impressa, I have ever seen. It was, indeed, remark- 

 able to find this plant blooming so beautifully at this late 

 period (23rd October) of the year, for it had quite ceased on 

 the lower altitudes. Some extra fine flower spikes were photo- 

 graphed by Mr. Relph. This table-land also revealed a fine 

 crop of timber, mostly Messmate, Eucalyptus ohliqua, and 

 Stringy-bark, E. macrorrJiyncha, as yet unsamplcd by the saw- 

 miller, whose trail is amply apparent on most of the Grampian 

 peaks. Seen in lesser quantity, but of particularly fine 

 development, were the Narrow-leaved Peppermint, E. 

 amygdalina, and Grey Gum, E. goniocalyx. Continuing in a 

 southerly direction towards Hall's Gap, we found large 

 quantities of six Pimeleas — P. linifolia, P. axiflora, P. flava, 

 P. phylicoidcs, P. curviflora, var. micrantha, and P. spathulata. 

 The beautiful blooms of the latter, drooping from shrubs of 

 sometimes five feet in height, were a sight of more than usual 

 interest, while the variety dichotoma of P. flava displayed many 

 forked branches of unique appearance. The Fringe Wattle, 

 Acacia MitcheUi, one of the earliest bloomers of the genus, 

 was laden with pods, and (due, doubtless, to the splendid rains 

 of September) had industriously started upon another flowering 

 period. A. armata and A. vcrticillata seemed to have adopted 



