THE 



^ictovian Jlaturali^t. 



Vol. YIII.— No. 12. APRIL, 1892. No. 100. 



FIELD NATURALIST CLUB'S EXCURSION TO THE 



GRAMPIANS, 2 1 ST NOVEMBER to 5TH DECEMBER, 



1891. 



The Grampians are three chains of hills running north and 

 south, the southernmost point being at Dunkeld, where they end 

 very abruptly — whence the appropriate name of Mount Abrupt. 

 They comprise the three ranges, Mts. William, Serra, and 

 Victoria, and the valley between the first two is known as Hall's 

 Gap, the nearest rail township to the entrance of which is Stawell. 

 To the geologist they are known as Upper Paleozoic, and there 

 are also in one or two spots small quantities of granite. The 

 country is mostly pastoral, but of late more attention is being 

 given to agriculture, especially fruit-growing, for which the valleys 

 are unquestionably suitable. 



This — Hall's Gap — was the locality selected for the now recog- 

 nized annual Club excursion, and for which seven members had 

 put down their names, as also a preliminary deposit of cash to 

 ensure their adherence to their promises. As a result all the 

 seven were en evidence at Stawell on the morning of Saturday, 

 2ist November, together with the useful Fred, who was the cook 

 and general utility man who accompanied the party of last year 

 One of our first duties was to call upon the Mayor — Mr. Edhouse 

 — with a letter of introduction kindly given to us by Mr. Perrin 

 the Conservator of Forests, but he not being at home we presented 

 it to the Town Clerk, who received us most courteously, and after 

 reading the contents handed it to Mr. Henderson, the Superin- 

 tendent of the Waterworks, who readily complied with the 

 purport of Mr. Perrin's request — viz., to grant us the use of what 

 is locally known as the Borough Hut, situate some distance up 

 the Gap. This hut we found most useful, and would here record 

 our best thanks to the Borough Council and to Mr. Henderson 

 or the readiness with which they handed it over to us. Some 

 stores and other articles which we did not think it necessary to 

 bring from Melbourne having been procured, and Mr. Dalton, a 

 resident of the Gap, with whom we had arranged for the carriage 

 of all our paraphernalia, being in punctual attendance, his 

 dray was carefully loaded ; and a fairly good load it was. A start 



