THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 141 



or scrub of the Jarrah country are not so numerous or thick as 

 those of the Red Gum forest, being chiefly She-oak (notably 

 Casuarina decussata) ; Nuytsia, producing splendid crests of 

 massive orange flowers at Christmas time, and so-called Native 

 Pear {Xylomelum) with thick, stiff, verdant foliage. There is alsO' 

 a most lovely flowering shrub, bearing wreaths of blooms not 

 unlike double pink hawthorn, imparting a singular blush of 

 beauty to the wayside. This beautiful plant, though worthy of 

 cultivation, has Hterally no name among the dwellers of the 

 forest ; but in botany is known by the sternly conservative 

 appellation — Hypocalymma. 



We are tempted to explore a swampy gully near. What a 

 revelation ! There we see Boronia ten feet high, adorned from 

 top to bottom with pink bells. Out of oozy damp soil grows a 

 prolific crop of four-cornered rushes, above which the Boronia 

 thrusts its small foliage, every branchlet being embellished with 

 rows of lovely carmine flowers. Kunzea, of ti-tree like appear- 

 ance, overarch and protect the Boronia from the boisterous 

 elements, at the same time narrowing the scrub down in places 

 into the most beautiful roseate vistas. 



On a gentle rise on the outskirts of the forest we break upon, 

 an ornamented patch carpeted with 



" Shining tracts of green-haired messes," 



and surrounded by Grass-trees and Peppermint (Agonis) trees 

 — the latter being exceedingly handsome, dressed in long,, 

 pendulous foliage flecked with white flowers, diffusing sweet 

 odour like that of new honey. Three striking creepers, also- 

 flourishing hereabout, are in full bloom — the beautiful bluish or 

 purplish Kennedya, native scarlet runner (Glycine), and 

 " clematis-like, starry Jasmine." But few bush scenes for 

 exquisite loveliness exceed the western species of Kennedya 

 when seen with unrestricted freedom enveloping a moderately 

 sized Peppermint tree with a wealth of rich purplish flowering: 

 clusters. 



There are other charming objects in our forest. Yonder lies a 

 Casuarina branch, dead, and half hidden in rich springing grass ;. 

 above it shoots a garden of orchids of a rare shade of pink,, 

 which look exceedingly captivating with their somewhat rounded 

 petals and bright polished surfaces. But we cannot linger over 

 this delightful contrast — the brown twigs, beautiful in death, the 

 verdant grass and the pink flowers — but must hasten away inland 

 to explore the sacred recesses of a Karri forest. 



We pass along a swamp studded with crooked-stemmed 

 Melaleuca, with light-coloured bark, ragged and tattered, in 

 curious contrast to the placid waters of the lagoon, while threading. 



