THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 93 



which was about three or four miles — was along a siding, thus 

 differing from the previous ones, which are simply straight up and 

 down hills, and at the many different turnings were pretty fern 

 guUies on the lower sides, whilst on the upper were lovely 

 views of tree ferns. The foliage, too, of all the shrubs was 

 altogether greener, and it really seemed as if we had got into a 

 different portion of the country. It was, therefore, with feelings of 

 regret that we retraced our steps, as we would have much liked to 

 have been able to spend at least another two or three days in 

 prospecting for specimens. 



We had almost forgotten to mention that immediately at the 

 rear of our hotel was, or, rather, had been, a fine fern gully, and it 

 was little consolation to us to learn that it was now reserved, the 

 reservation only coming after the wholesale destruction had been 

 perpetrated. Huge recently-fallen trees were lying in all directions 

 many of the large ferns had met a similar fate, whilst the whole 

 gully, which should have been a "thing of beautyand a joy for ever," 

 was simply a scene of unjustifiable destruction and desolation, and 

 we gladly quitted so depressing a spectacle. No doubt, now that 

 no further interference with it will be allowed, it will to some 

 small extent recover itself during the coming winter, and will, 

 therefore, probably better repay a visits next spring and 

 summer. 



Our wanderings were all confined to the southern side of the 

 township, the appearance of the northern being not nearly so 

 inviting, and it almost seemed as if the township, which runs east 

 and west, was a dividing line between two totally different classes 

 of country. The timber on the southern side runs large, whilst 

 on the northern the land looks poor and barren, and the timber 

 is, in consequence, stunted and altogether unattractive to anyone 

 in search of the picturesque. 



In the immediate neighbourhood of North Mirboo, the timber 

 vegetation consists principally of Eucalyptus ohliqua ; a little 

 further on there are splendid trees of E. regnans, E. globulus, and 

 E. goniocalyx, the latter here called Bastard blue-gum, its seedlings 

 indeed bear a very close resemblance to the true blue-gum ; the 

 smaller timber consists, as at Yarragon, of Acacia melanoxylon, 

 A. dealbata, Pittosporum undulatum, Hedycarya Cunninghaini, 

 Sassafras, Musk trees, &c. The shrulDby, herbaceous, and annual 

 plants are also almost identical with those of Yarragon. We 

 found in flower Bauera ruhioides, Viola hederacea, Leptospermum 

 juniperinum, Lomatia ilicifolia, Amioerea spartioides, Epilobium 

 tetragonum, Geranium pilosum, Aster argophyllus, A. glandulosus, 

 Cassinia aculeata, Helichrysum leucopsidium, Siegesberkia 

 orientalis, Erecktites prenanthoides, Senecio lautus, S. vagus, S. 

 Bedfordi, and Lobelia simplicicaulis. When travelling in the 

 train we noticed in the water-holes along the line plenty of Oitelia 



