70 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



Starting again, we faced a piece of very nice hilly road, which, 

 after our three miles or so already covered in a hot north wind, very 

 soon tried our physical condition. It was climbed, however, and 

 on reaching the summit we began to calculate our position, 

 ultimately finding that, like the King of Spain, we had marched 

 up the hill and had to march down again, though in a more 

 northerly direction, till we reached a very picturesquely situated 

 residence, known as " Hazelglen." The occupier, by name 

 Christian Hunnerup, kindly pointed out the track leading to the 

 gully, and another climb commenced. 



However, we were bent on seeing the gully; but we saw a host 

 of March Flies first, and they were evidently glad to see us, for 

 they made themselves very intimate' at once. We would have 

 preferred a little less of their attention. Climbing the mountain 

 by a winding track, we are soon in the midst of delightful scenery, 

 the ground being thickly covered with Bracken Fern, Native 

 Hazel, and the usual attendant scrub, out of which rise numerous 

 Tree Ferns (Alsophila australis), principally at the gully head. 

 The removal of a number of charred and blackened tree stems, 

 monuments of that dreadful scourge, the bush fire, seems all that is 

 needed to complete a piece of magnificent mountain scenery. At 

 last we reach the entrance to the gully, and down we rush into the 

 cool shade of the multitudinous Tree Ferns ( Dicksonia antarctica). 

 As the name indicates, the Sassafras tree grows in rich profusion, 

 which, with its dark green foliage intermingled with the luxuriant 

 growth of ferns, forms a shade that even the dreaded hot north wind, 

 out of which we have escaped, does not seem to be able to pene- 

 trate. Soon the Sassafras by its pleasant odour makes its presence 

 known if we otherwise neglect to observe it. At the bottom of 

 the gully a cool, sparkling, crystal-like stream ripples gaily amongst 

 the fern roots, at which we are glad to abate our thirst. Under 

 such conditions it is needless to say we enjoyed our first repast at 

 noon. After about half an hour's rest we start off on the track 

 through the gully, so thoughtfully made by Mr. G. S. Perrin, 

 F.L.S., the Conservator of Forests. So well is this track defined 

 that no ordinary visitor could possibly lose his way. Noting as 

 we proceed the beauty-spots — if one part could be called more 

 beautiful than another — we push on until we reach the spot where 

 the track terminates, distant from the entrance to the gully about 

 two miles. En route through the gully ever and anon we are 

 confronted by trees of stupendous height, and one of the party, 

 who has never before seen anything to equal them, stands trans- 

 fixed for the moment before one of these monarchs of the forest. 

 It makes us feel very small indeed when we try to discover the 

 top of them. Looking at one which seems even taller than the 

 rest, a bunch of Mistletoe is observed suspended from the tip of 

 one of its topmost branches, the very picture of isolation. Here 



