THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 90 



EXCUESTON TO THE YOU YANCxS. 



For some years past the Prince of Wales' Birthday {9th 

 November) has been almost the only public holiday on which the 

 members of the Field Naturalists' Club of Vicroria have organised 

 a Club excursion. 



For many parts of the country this date is perhaps rather 

 unfortunate, as it appears to be somewhat •' between the seasons" 

 — too late for botanists, as the majority of our flowering plants 

 are then past their prime, and too early for the entomologists, 

 whose efforts in the collecting line are generally better rewarded 

 a month or two later. 



Last year, it will be remembered, a visit to the well known Lai 

 T.al Falls, near Ballarat, was suggested, and the members of the 

 Ballarat Field Club were asked to join our members there. This 

 they at once agreed to do, also undertaking to act the part of hosts 

 during the day, which they did to everybody's satisfaction, a most 

 enjoyable outing resulting 



This year it became the duty of the metropolitan society to 

 entertain their country fellow-scientists. The choice of locality 

 was somewhat limited, owing to the few promising collecting 

 grounds conveniently situated to the Melbourne and Ballarat 

 line of railway. After some thoughts of trying the Moorabool 

 Valley, near Geelong, it was decided to visit the You Yani.'s, a 

 well-known granite range rising out of the Werribee plains, about 

 thirty miles south-west of Melbourne An invitation to the 

 Ballarat Field Club having been duly forvk^arded and accepted, it 

 only remained for fine weather, a good attendance, and plenty of 

 collecting work to make the outing a success. 



Soon after six o'clock on Tuesday morning (9th November, 

 1886) the advance agents ot" the party might have been seen at 

 Spencer-street station hard at work packing away the indispens- 

 able accompaniments of such an expedition. 



A carriage had been set apart for the Club, and on mustering, 

 it was found that our party numbered twenty-four, of whom six 

 were ladies. Among those present were the president and several 

 other office-bearers of the Club. Taking our seats in the Geelong 

 train, we were soon off on our way to the rendezvous at Little 

 River. The day promised to turn out everything that could be 

 wished, a cool breeze from the south-west blowing over the 

 plains, and rendering the absence of clouds quite endurable. 



After an hour's run, the train drew up at Little River, where 

 the ladies of the party found that the committee of the Club had 

 studied their comfort by engaging a vehicle to carry them over 

 the four miles between the station ard the mountains. One of 



