186 ' THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



ward, but the rain again caused us to halt, so we utiHsed the 

 stoppage by having our breakfast Going on once more, we 

 reached some immense rocks at the foot of the first gorge. The 

 rain now descended in earnest : we were aheady very wet, and 

 when standing up for shelter, felt the cold striking through us, so 

 we reluctantly decided to turn back. Just here was a small grove 

 of Eucalyptus alpina, specimens of which were secured. It was 

 very annoying to have to return when within about a mile of the top 

 of the mount, but further climbing would probably have been 

 slippery and dangerous. As we returned, the rain increased, and the 

 track became a running stream. We soon felt as if we had just 

 crawled out of a river, and could not help laughing at one another's 

 drenched appearance. Fortunately, the wind was blowing hard 

 from behind us, so rather accelerated than impeded our progress. 

 Notwithstanding the rain, we could not pass the grass-trees with- 

 out stopping to cut specimens of their curious flowering stems to 

 show our town friends. We got back to the hotel all right, and 

 the landlady kindly made up several fires to dry our clothes, 

 every part of which was wringing wet. During twenty years of 

 collecting in Victoria, in all weathers, neither of us ever had such a 

 wetting as we had that morning, and the finish of our outing will 

 not be forgotten for many a day. However, we were so taken 

 with the district and its flora that it is very probable we shall 

 make another excursion to the locality before many seasons 

 pass. 



By noon we were once more presentable to the public, and 

 having dined, at half-past one took our seats in the train, and 

 commenced the long journey back to town. This, owing to 

 pleasant companions met with in the train, passed more quickly 

 than we expected, and by ii p.m. we were once more at Spencer- 

 street Station, apparently none the worse for our ad 'ventures, more 

 especially as, during the ten days over which our trips extended, 

 there was only one on which no rain fell. 



Baron von Miieller, K C.M.G., has been kind enough to identify 

 the plants collected during the trip, and which we desire to bring 

 under your notice this evening. 



Professor W. Baldwin Spencer, M.A, (Oxon), has com- 

 menced his biological lectures at the Melbourne University. 

 As biology is one of the subjects included in the first year of 

 the course in medicine, the lectures are attended by nearly 

 a hundred students. It is quite impossible to provide instruc- 

 tion in practical work for so many with the accommodation at 

 present available, but the students who are entering on the new 

 science course will have all necessary facilities aff"orded them. 



