THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 19 



giving- a fir-like appearance to the tree ; on its roots grows 

 Sisyrinchium pulchelluvi. Pittosporum bicolor, musk and hazel, 

 and pepper trees abound ; and of ferns the gully is full of the 

 usual Dicksonia and Alsophila, with Lomaria procera and 

 pattersoni, Blechnum cartilagineiim, Davallia dubia, Asplenium 

 laxtim, Aspidium aculeatiim, Polypodiicrn billardieri and pundatum, 

 Doodia caudata, and various species of Hymenophyllum. * 



Crossing the little creek we pass again for about a mile on to 

 granite. The track, which is here a very good one, gradually 

 ascends, leading for some distance amongst sassafras, waratah, 

 hazel, musk, pepper trees, and fine white-gums. Again we pass 

 on to Silurian rock, and after between three and four miles from 

 the gully, halt at an elevation of 3,200 ft., by the side of a 

 stream flowing southward. In the afternoon, walking on for 

 some little distance, the character of the country changes : it 

 becomes very boggy, and we pass through a small wood of 

 Leptosperraum 50 ft. high and upwards, with long strips of paper- 

 like bark hanging down the stem ; on from this the ground rises 

 somewhat sharply, and we meet again with Persoonias, musk, 

 cotton trees, sassafras, pepper trees, and waratahs, and large 

 specimens of Elseocarpus, and then along the final rise we see, 

 for the first time, the conifer JVageia alpina and Prostanthera 

 walta-i, though the latter is not in flower. Both of these are of 

 interest, as, according to Baron von Mueller this is the lowest 

 elevation (3,400 ft.), at which the conifer has yet been found ; whilst 

 this species of Prostanthera is confined to Croajingolong, where it 

 was first found and sent to Baron von Mueller by Mr. Walter. 

 Amongst other sub-alpine plants are seen Senecio dryadeiis, 

 Gaultiera hispida, Lagenophora gtmtii, Noteloia lonoifolia, Styphelia 

 jnacrcei and moniana, and Helichrysum thyrsoides. The track 

 rises to a height of 3,700 ft., and passes on to a level piece of 

 ground of considerable extent covered with grass, and presenting 

 a very park-like appearance. Veronica derwentia, species of 

 Senecio and Helichrysum, Erharta Juncea, and the snow-grass 

 (Poa hookeriana) are plentiful. The growth of the latter — 2 ft. in 

 height — is very thick on this, the highest point in the coast range. 

 Of trees there are simply, in this part, the waratah and the silver 

 wattle. The latter is very noticeable as presenting that curious 

 fir-like appearance which has already been noted in the case of 

 the sassafras on the range, but which is still more marked in the 

 case of the wattle. What produces this curious effect it is 

 difficult to imagine ; at the same time it is, perhaps, worth noting 

 that it is only found on the trees high up on the mountains, 



* Here and in other parts various forms of worms, insects, &c., were 

 collected, and cryptogams which have not, as yet, been identified. Through- 

 out the journey fungi were collected and preserved in alcohol. 



