THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 167 



of Hume and Hovell, the first explorers of these ranges, in 

 December, 1824, and the difficulties they encountered in trying 

 to get from King Parrot Creek across the Dividing Range, and 

 with what truth Hume, when he was baffled in the attempt, 

 named the highest peak Mt. Disappointment, and had to find a 

 way across further west, somewhere near the pass now traversed 

 by the North-Eastern Railway. 



Soon after starting a tiger snake was heard to slip into the 

 aqueduct, and after some trouble was fished out and killed. 



The country had now more of the character of ordinary stringy- 

 bark hills, and the trees were not so large as on the main range. 

 A few spikes of the pretty pink orchid Dipodium punctatutn were 

 noticed, also bushes of Indigofera australis, while Clematis 

 aristata entwined itself among the bracken, &c., and a few small, 

 unimportant plants were noticed alongside the track. At several 

 places during the afternoon wombats' holes were noticed, but, 

 singularly, no wallabies or other animal life was seen. During the 

 afternoon the ornithologists secured a young Wonga Pigeon, 

 Leucosaria ficata^ on the Nimmo Falls track, which was, perhaps, 

 their best capture during the trip. 



The evening was spent in putting away specimens, &c., and 

 lounging about our sleeping-house. 



Next morning (Sunday) early morning strolls were indulged in, 

 during which some Mountain Trout were seen in the Wallaby 

 Creek, but they resisted the temptations of a butterfly net as a 

 means of removal from their mountain home, and after breakfast 

 all visited the Wallaby Weir where a couple of snap-shots were 

 taken of the party. As the day promised to be warm some of 

 the members decided to make an early start for Jack's Creek, 

 leaving the rest to follow after lunch. Little of interest was seen 

 on the way back, and after a good rest at Smith's Gully our 

 vehicles arrived, and we started for Toorourrong Reservoir. 

 Though the day was warm, little did we think, as we rested at the 

 gully, that Melbourne folk were experiencing nearly 107° in the 

 shade — the highest reading for the year. We spent a short time 

 at the reservoir, where our pond-life friend filled up his remaining 

 bottles with likely-looking material, and our artist took a couple 

 more snap-shots of the lake, and then drove on to Whittlesea, 

 where we found tea ready, which was very welcome after our hot 

 drive. Another tedious journey in a hot railway carriage, and Mel- 

 bourne was reached about 9 p.m. 



I am indebted to Messrs. Keartland, Kershaw, Shephard, and 

 Tisdall, members of the party, for the following brief notes of the 

 objects seen or collected : — 



Ornithology. — Mr. G. A. Keartland reports that, as the 

 country passed through was so very different in its nature from 

 that usually frequented by members of our Club on their 



