THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 161 



the difficulty of taking anything like an adequate view of a scene 

 where tree ferns wave gaily about in the darkness of the fore- 

 ground, whilst behind them is a falling mass of water, the upper 

 part of which, some distance away in a slanting direction, is 

 brightly illumined with sunlight. The photographs taken by no 

 means do justice to the scene, which is really a beautiful one. 



Daylight is failing fast as we reach the top of the gorge and 

 regain the road. A small clearing in the trees gives us a view in 

 the sunset across the Cumberland and away to the main valley 

 of the Yarra, down towards which all the hill-ranges dip, every 

 one clothed to its summit with dense forest. Some three miles 

 further on, close to where the Yarra track passes southward to 

 Reefton, we find the tent put up and are soon enjoying our 

 evening meal and rest. 



23RD November. — We are up early (4 a.m.), being anxious to 

 press on as far as possible and to reach the Travellers' Rest by 

 evening, close to which the Tanjil track passes off. The road is 

 in very bad condition, suitable only for bullock teams and drivers 

 with the necessary vocabulary at their command. First we have 

 to fill up especially deep ruts with logs, and then watch anxiously 

 to see whether the horses can manage to pull the dray through a 

 nasty bit of bog. A short distance, which has taken some length 

 of time to traverse, brings us to an open piece of ground with a 

 closed-up house, which was once known as the " Scandinavians," 

 the custom of which must have completely fallen off as Wood's 

 Point declined. After consultation, we decide that it will be 

 much the quicker way for us to leave the dray behind and to 

 pack on ; so, choosing a sheltered spot among the ferns, we stow 

 away what we can spare, trusting to find the things safe on our 

 return. This occupies some time, and it is past midday when we 

 begin to tramp again. Pennant's Parrakeets and Pink and 

 Yellow-breasted Robins are frequently seen, and Mountain 

 Thrushes and Striated and Spotted Pardalotes not uncommon, 

 whilst the valleys resound with the notes of the Lyre Bird, and 

 the Gang Gang Cockatoos call harshly to one another in the tops 

 of the trees. We cross the heads of many gullies, the creeks in 

 which fall away northwards towards the Goulburn or southwards 

 to the Yarra ; and, where the forest opens out a little, we get fine 

 views of the near and distant ranges. The scrub is very thick, 

 and on the flowering asters the fine butterfly, Papilio macleayanus, 

 is captured. A number of fine specimens of both sexes of Xenica 

 hobartia are captured. This is by no means a common butterfly, 

 and we are fortunate in securing for the first time the male, the cap- 

 ture of which has not before been recorded. A pair has since been 

 given to the National Museum. The shrubs are much the same as 

 before, with here and there specimens of Banksia collina and 

 australis. Amongst flower, those of species of Pimelia, Daviesia, 



