16 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



jungle, to see a curious geological formation, which however 

 turns out to be a silurian mica schist. At the head of the creek, 

 at a height of 2,025 feet, the fern Cyathea cutininghami is found 

 growing. The other three spend the day in the neighbourhood 

 of the camp, hunting by the river, which is here overhung by 

 large Tristanias, on whose trunks are endless epiphytic ferns, such 

 as Hyineiiophyllinn tunbridgiense ; whilst in the water Chara, in 

 fruit, is found, and plenty of the river weed, Potamogeion natans, 

 also in fruit. One of the most striking features of this part is the 

 number and large size of the Tristanias, which, with their great 

 trunks covered with mosses, ferns, and lichens, overhang the 

 river along its whole course. During the morning the heat is 

 intense, and a few sparks from the camp fire set the bush on fire : 

 we have no little difficulty in extinguishing it, and have to take 

 the tents down hurriedly and carry all our stores for safety down 

 to the bank of the river. In the afternoon we chase a copper- 

 head snake into a waterhole by the river, and after being totally 

 immersed for i ^ hours it comes to the surface quite fresh : here 

 and elsewhere it is noticeable that the snakes take to water with 

 ease — in fact, coming across a snake in a gully the first thing it 

 does is to make for the stream and dive in. Late in the after- 

 noon we pack up and about five start for our next camping 

 ground, which is only a few miles ahead. 



Our way leads along by the Erinundra, which runs almost due 

 south, having hollowed out for itself a deep gorge as it flows 

 down from the coast range. We mount on to the side of a ridge, 

 and then, descending, strike and cross the river. The scrub is 

 very thick with tall bracken fern and Davallia dubia and Goodias, 

 which are fast obliterating the track : now and then we pass 

 waratahs, and the river is overhung, as usual, by fine trees of 

 Tristania laiirina and Pittosporiim bicolor. After keeping for 

 some distance to the east of the river, we cross where it takes a 

 sudden bend round the base of a ridge up which the track leads 

 amongst cotton trees. Acacias, Banksias, and great numbers of 

 fine specimens, some at least 15 feet high, of Humea elegans. 

 As evening comes on, after a short walk of 6 miles, we descend 

 to the river valley, cross the Ada, which runs down to join the 

 Erinundra from the mountains on the west, and find ourselves in 

 a small flat where is a bark shed, which we utilize as a sleeping 

 place for the night : the shed only boasts, of course, of a roof 

 supported on four poles, and on the windward side we hang up 

 our tents as a protection (7). Down by the river is seen, for the 

 first time on our trip, the fern Loviaria capensis, which, though so 

 common elsewhere, appears to be rare in Croajingolong. 



Thursday, ioth January. — Our camp seems to be rather a 

 lively place : whilst enjoying a quiet breakfast, a large copper- 

 head, apparently frightened, makes for the spot on which our 



