156 Excursion to Warhurion. [v^r'xxxi- 



EXCURSION TO WARBURTON. 



The Foundation Day outing to Warburton was this year under- 

 taken by a small but enthusiastic party. The excursion 

 extended from Saturday morning, 30th January, to Monday 

 afternoon, ist February. All the ]ilants recorded in former 

 trips over the same routes were observed, but, of course, those 

 seen in bloom when the fixture was earlier in the year were 

 seen out of flower only. Saturday morning was spent in walks 

 along the banks of the Yarra River, in close proximity to the 

 townshij), where nearly all the shrubs of the district may be 

 observed. The Mutton-wood, Myrsine variabilis, was well in 

 fruit, in some instances remarkably so, one large shrub being 

 almost covered with the round, bead-like, violet-coloured 

 berries. Lomatia longifolia was covered with its peculiar protean 

 pods, in various degrees of ripeness. The Banyalla. Piltos- 

 porum bicfllor, and Austral Mulberry, Hedycarya Cunninghami. 

 were also in fruit. Growing close to the water's edge are 

 several fine specimens of the Golden Shaggy Pea, Oxylobium 

 ellipticum. In the afternoon we went up Scotchman's and 

 Backstairs Creeks to Old Warburton, an outing whose beauties 

 and flora are so well described in the Victorian Naturalist, 

 vol. xxi., p. 139. Here we saw fine growths of the ferns Poly- 

 podium punctatum, Pteris trcmula, Asplenium umbrosum, tec. 

 The return journey was made along the driving track which 

 leads out at La La. Along this road is very fine scenery, and a 

 fern gully quite equal in beauty to that at the head of Backstairs 

 Creek, near Old Warburton, and close to La La there is a fine 

 patch of the Hickory Wattle, Acacia penninervis. The other 

 acacias seen along the route were A. myrtifolia, A. vcrticillata, 

 A. linearis. A. dealbata, and A. mdanoxylon. The eucalypts 

 met with were E. obliqua, E. goniocalyx. It. viminalis, E. Giinnii, 

 E. amvgdalina, and E. Sicberiana. The outing on Sunday was 

 to Cement Creek, about six miles on the new driving track 

 to Mount Donna Buang. At the creek the road, which has 

 attained an altitude of about 2,200 feet above sea-level, doubles 

 back in seeking an easy gradient, and a wide space is provided 

 for vehicles to turn. Continuing on from here also is the bridle 

 track to Marysville. At Cement Creek and at a creek a mile 

 or so further back are some very fine Myrtle Beeches, Sassafras, 

 and other denizens of the higher mountain gullies. So 

 enamoured were we with the beauty all along the road that 

 we decided to continue further, and eventually to try to reach 

 the summit of Donna Buang. For a considerable distance 

 the forest presents similar delights, and provided ample subjects 

 for observation and discussion during the after-luncheon 

 stroll. We passed through glades of magnificent trees and 

 shrubs, between glorious mossy banks, and in places many 

 bushes of Eriostemon Hildebrandi {Phebalimn bilohum), which 



