THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 127 



and the Native Hop, which latter plant is found so plentifully in 

 the timbered country of the Uandenong and other ranges. Under- 

 neath this thick vegetation the birds had run and quickly hopped 

 under what we had laboriously to push our way through. We 

 found the penguins numerous, but, as before, with mosdy hard- 

 set eggs or young birds, and but few fresh eggs were secured. We 

 found some plants of the Asplenium fern growing in a cave over- 

 looking the sea, close to the water's edge. Salt air seems to be 

 essential to these plants, as both here and at King Island it was 

 found growing in exposed situations between the clefts of rocks 

 close to the sea, and in many instances must have had the spray 

 dashed over it. On our return to camp we secured fine specimens 

 of the lizards Lygosoma (Hi?iuiia) tuhilei and Lygosoma 

 {Hinulid) lesueuri ; the latter seemed to vary from those obtained 

 in Victoria. We saw the tracks and burrows of rats in the thick 

 grass, but were unable to secure any for identification. 



On Thursday we collected specimens of the plants to be found 

 in our neighbourhood, and a good many different varieties were 

 obtained. We also found a few insects, and a lizard, which was 

 new to us. During the afternoon a few showers of rain fell, and 

 we took the opportunity of doing indoor work that had been put 

 off for a wet day. It cleared up in the evening, and some of us 

 went to the mouth of the small creek that flowed past our tent, 

 and fished for eels {Anguilla australis). We made a fire, which 

 was a matter of some difficulty owing to the wood being wet, and 

 then patiently watched our lines. We succeeded in catching four 

 eels in about three-quarters of an hour, by which time our patience 

 was exhausted, so we returned to camp. 



Friday turned out a beautiful day, and two members went to 

 the lighthouse, while two more went fishing, and the rest of us, 

 with one of Mr. Brown's sons (Frank) as guide, started off to find 

 some tree ferns, which were said to grow on the other side of the 

 island, but which, so far, we had been unable to find. After a 

 long walk we came to the head of a steep valley that ran down to 

 Storm Bay. There was no scrub of any kind growing in it, and 

 only a very little water trickling down. On descending for some 

 distance, we came to a little hollow that the water had made, 

 about three feet deep and four feet across, and running for a 

 distance of about seven yards, and in this small place we found six 

 different varieties of ferns, including three small specimens of the 

 Dicksonia antarctica. Very few had any seed-spores on. None 

 of the plants grew higher than the banks of the hollow, being 

 probably too exposed, there being so little shelter. It seems 

 strange that these ferns should grow here and not in more sheltered 

 and favoured localities on the island, but this is the only place 

 where the two species of tree fern are found. After gathering 

 specimens we left " Ferny Spring " and went to Freestone Cove, 



