THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 175- 



A curious black fungus grew on the sand-hills near here, it 

 looking like little black sticks stucjk. into the white sand. I 

 think it must belong near to the genus Sphaeria, (?) but of this I 

 am not certain, 



Correa speciosa (the scarlet and orange variety) grew here in 

 profusion. Also, I found for the (for me) first time Eriosteinon 

 pmtgens, a plant which I had not seen before in a living state. 

 Ophioglossum vulgalum, the little adder-tongue fern, grew here, 

 there, and everywhere, but I was too early to get it in iruit, the 

 sporecases being just visible. The spring is fenced in, and a very 

 large nest of the wedge-tailed eagle has been built in a fork of a 

 red-gum tree. The nest can be seen for a considei-able distance. 



In a large saline flat, which extends for several miles, grew an 

 immense number of plants (very scraggy) of Lycium Australe, 

 the partly dead stems of which are thickly covered with a pretty, 

 though very common, scarlet lichen ( Tlielochistes), and which, 

 when the sun is shining brightly, can be seen for miles, the effect 

 being very singular and pretty, the whole flat being covered with 

 an undergrowth of Capsella elliptica, with a common moss 

 (Funaria hygronietrica). Here was found Glossostigma Drum- 

 mondi, a plant new to Victoria. 



Near this flat, on the slopes of a range of low hills, occur a 

 series of subterranean springs^ which have here and there '' out- 

 lets," the latter being very dangerous to travellers who are 

 unacquainted with the district. The whole of the flats are 

 covered with a magnesia crust. This locality is very picturesque, 

 and is near the beautiful Rainbow Rises, the country being 

 undulating, interspersed with belts of mallee and box (Eucalyptus 

 largiflorens) flats, the Murray pine being very common every- 

 where. 



My stay was now drawing to a close, so a more extended trip 

 was arranged for, and we started (three of us) for a place called 

 Chinaman's Flat, situated about 25 miles north-west from the 

 station. We passed through large belts of mallee, well grassed, 

 and soon came to " Pijick," a country of sand-hills. (I am again- 

 indebted to Miss M. Scott, who rode out from the station on 

 purpose to make this sketch for me.) We camped here, boiled 

 the billy, had lunch, and again started. We reached the camp- 

 about three o'clock, where we camped for the night, there being 

 a very sharp frost. 



Near here a splendid well has been sunk by Mr. Scott, the- 

 output of good water being very considerable. It is worked by 

 horse power, and is about looft. deep ; a most valuable auxiliary 

 in such a dry country. In sinking this well there were found 

 some very interesting fossil marine shells, and these were 

 obtained at the Soft, level. (I have a few specimens to show you 

 this evening ) Another, to me, strange fact is the existence of the 



