THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 149 



lamellibranch shells, exactly similar to those now found on the ^ 



shore. The highest of these beds will now be some six feet 



above high-water mark. The same feature is seen on the east 



coast in one or two parts, and here there is, in the north part 



of Sea Elephant Bay, a raised, flat, sandy beach, covering a 



space of one hundred yards between the sea and the sand-hills. 



At one time the shells must have lain upon the sea-shore, and 



each layer of them in the small sand-cliffs represents a distinct 



shore line of times past. 



Turning inland on the west coast, about four miles north of 

 the creek, the track, after passing across the sand-hills, lies 

 over a series of low-lying scrubby ridges, merging into grassy 

 hills, topped with patches of ti-tree, and valleys which looked 

 all that could be desired for a sheep station, but, unfortunately, 

 what is known as the "poisonous tare" {Swainsonia lessertifolia), 

 with its beautiful purple flower, is plentiful, and seems to render 

 sheep grazing impossible, The hunter pointed out one small 

 hollow locally known as " the Cemetery," and said that in that 

 small spot some hundreds of sheep were killed about three 

 years ago through eating the plant. 



Leaving the grassy valleys and hills, the country becomes 

 open, and lies at a lower level. Away to the right is a large 

 swamp ground known as " Egg Lagoon," and a little further on 

 the track passes on to slightly higher gound, still open, with 

 here and there clumps of small gum and ti-trees, in which one 

 or two wild cats were killed. The bracken fern is very 

 abundant, and there is plenty of tussocky grass, with patches of 

 swampy ground, in which the copper-head snake abounds. The 

 ground in parts is covered with liverwort, and a small violet 

 (Viola hederaceaj flourishes everywhere. In this part the little 

 rufous-headed grass warbler {Cisticola exilis) was secured, 

 remarkable as being the only bird found on the island which is 

 peculiar to Victoria as opposed to Tasmania. All other birds 

 captured were either common to both countries, or else peculiar 

 to Tasmania. 



From the reedy flats the track led across rising ground known 

 as Fern Hill, covered, as its name indicates, with Pteris aquilina, 

 and from the summit of which a characteristic view of the island 

 was to be obtained. From a picturesque point of view the 

 scenery of King Island in its northern parts is decidedly 

 uninteresting. Away to the north as seen from Fern Hill, 

 stretches undulating ground covered with scrub, tussocky grass, 

 fern, patches of ti-tree in blossom, with perhaps a few small 

 gums, here and there a small wood of larger gums, and not 

 unfrequently the charred trunks of still older ones standing out 

 gaunt against the sky. Eastwards lay swamp and undulating 

 scrub land ; westwards was the track towards the sea, over 

 grassy downs and sand-hills ; southwards lay swamp land, with 



