56 



descended about 400 feet, to a plain lying between the beads 

 or sources of two rivulets, one flowing to the east and entering 

 the Meander, just above Archer's Sugarloaf, and the other 

 flowing to the north-west into Dale Brook, near Gibson's 

 Sugarloaf. 



Upon this plain are found the large " mountain ranunculus" 

 {Ranunculus Gunniamis), with its bright, varnished yellow 

 flowers, purple underneath, and much-divided leaves, and the 

 curious little " Caltha" (C introloha) both found also on the Vic- 

 torian Alps by Dr. Mueller, — a little yellow-flowered " Stack- 

 housia" {S. 2^ulvinaris), occurring also on the Gipps Land 

 mountains, — a prostrate little Pultenaea (P. fascicularis)^ 

 gathered also on the Cobberas Mounts in Victoria,— the singu- 

 lar little Liparophjllum Gunnii, belonging to the Gentian tribe, 

 found nowhere else in the world, small large-flowered plants of 

 the " mountain gentian " {Gentiana montana), found also on 

 the mountains of Victoria, New South Wales, and South 

 Australia, — the WiilQMitrasacme Arc]ieri,iovi^2^ nowhere else, — 

 Euphrasia alpina, striata, and cuspiclata, the first found on 

 Mount Kosciusko in New South Wales, and on the Cobberas 

 Mountains in Victoria, a most singular little plant — and the 

 last nowhere but on the Western Mountains, Mount Sorell, 

 and Mount La Perouse in Tasmania ; besides several other 

 plants peculiar to mountainous localities, and some that are 

 found also on the plains, such as the common "tea- tree'* 

 {Leptospennum lanigfirum) which grows here in thickets to the 

 height of 12 to 15 feet. 



We erected our light tent — made of unbleached linen, and 

 enclosing a space of six feet by six feet and a half — and leav- 

 ing the servants to procure a large supply of dry fire-wood 

 for consumption during the long and cold night, made our 

 way down the valley of the eastern rivulet. After descending 

 about 200 feet to a spot where the rocky sides of the valley 

 rise steeply from each bank of the stream, we came to fine 

 specimens of different species of the largest kinds of " moun- 

 tain pine " — as I generally call it, — Atlu^otaxis cupressoidesy 

 selaginoides and laxifolia, — and also the "celery- topped pine " 

 Fhyllocladus rliomhoidalis, which occurs also on the Meander 

 near Cheshunt. Here were also many beautiful and rare mosses, 

 clothing or fringing the rocky margins of the brook ; here I 

 found a pretty white violet, — found also in New Zealand, — 

 Viola Cunnmgliamii ; here, straggling among the rocks, is 

 Decaspora disticha, with its little clusters of purplish berries. 

 Having gazed our fill at the rare and noble trees and curious 

 alpine plants around us, and made a collection of botanical 

 specimens, we returned to our tent. 



One side of the tent being left open towards the large fire, 



