THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 119 



Among the plants growing near the station may be mentioned 

 Patersonia glauca and P. lonyiscapa, Bulhine bidbosa, Ccesia 

 vittata, lliysanotus tuherosus, Xerotes thunbergi, Xerotes longi- 

 _folia, and the odd-looking XdnthorrlKBci minor. 



In the gully itself all the usual kinds of ferns were of course to 

 be seen, but the very slender tree fern, Cyathea cunninghami, 

 was not found. The stumpy Todea barbara has here much 

 longer fronds and of a more glossy green than in more open 

 <;ountry. A goodly number of the lower cryptogams were 

 observed, among them several species of Hepaticge in fruit, and 

 also the splendid moss, Dawsonia superba. 



The return journey was commenced from Hazel Dell at 

 4.30 p.m., and during the drive back to Bayswater the only 

 regrettable incident of the day occurred. From the Forest Road 

 terminus of the coach to Hazel Dell a road is cut of a winding 

 character along the side of the hill, and in some parts is a little 

 steep. Coming down such a road of course necessitates careful 

 driving. It so happened that the driver of the second coach, 

 which was one of the old pattern mail coaches on leather 

 swings, drove very erratically, and when about half-way down the 

 track collided with a log and turned the coach completely over 

 on its side. The occupants, chiefly ladies, were got out as 

 speedily as possible and the coach righted. It is a matter for 

 congratulation, that though the ladies were severely shaken, no 

 one was seriously hurt. With one or two exceptions, by the 

 generous assistance of some gentlemen who were driving behind 

 us, we reached Bayswater in time to catch our train at 5.51 p.m., 

 by which most of the party" returned to town, having, as far as 

 weather was concerned, had a perfectly lovely da)', and which 

 but for the accident alluded to might be said to have been 

 thoroughly enjoyed by all. 



R. S. SUGARS. 



PHENOLOGY AND RURAL BIOLOGY. 



By Mr. J. E. Prince. 



(Read before the Field Naturalists^ Club of Victoria, 16th 



November, 1891.^ 



An eminent English botanist, in a recent magazine article, said 

 he was sometimes asked how he became a botanist. In reply he 

 stated he hardly knew, unless I say with Topsy, " I 'spects I 

 growed." I don't know the date of my conversion. It was not 

 at any rate a sudden, violent convulsion, such as we may suppose 

 a geologist might experience ; it was a slow and gradual process, 

 in keeping with the science of " first the blade, then the ear, and 

 then the full corn in the ear." It is the observation and record- 



