THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 47 



On the way to the summit of Mt. Hotham I met with three 

 plants that I have vainly hunted for on Mt. Kosciusko ; Mueller 

 mentions them on the Muniong Ranges — perhaps he refers to 

 the southern slopes of Mt. Kosciusko, for I do not think they 

 can be on the northern. I allude to the scrambling Acacia 

 alpina, F. v. M., which the old miners call " Wait-a-while," from 

 the toughness of its very spreading branches ; the pink-flowering 

 Boronia algida, F. v. M., and Westringia senifolia, F. v. M. 

 The first two are in great profusion, while the third is not rare. 

 Stylidium graminifolium, Sw., and Wahlenbergia gracilis, D. C, 

 have flowers much more highly coloured than at lower elevations. 

 There is abundance of Olearia stellulata, D. C, with pale purple 

 flowers. What a charming plant for the rockery or border this 

 particular form — dwarf, and a mass of flowers — would be ! 

 Stellaria pungens, Brongn., was common here, and there was a 

 little Dianella tasmanica, J. Hook., though the plants lacked the 

 robustness and the gorgeousness of those I had seen on Mt. 

 Kosciusko. 



At the Diamantina Springs the hand of man was abundantly 

 evident by the presence of our old European friend, Ghenopodium 

 murale, Linn. Mt. Hotham (6,100 feet) is a rather un- 

 romantic mountain, with cattle roaming over it eating down the 

 botanical specimens. The flies made one almost crazy. The 

 summit is crowned by a small, badly-made cairn, surmounted 

 by a small stick. There are no large rocks on the top 

 of the mountain, as is frequently the case with the highest peaks of 

 the Australian Alps. The predominant vegetation, all of which 

 is dwarf, appeared to be Kunzea muelleri, Benth. ; but there were 

 also Grevillea australis, R. Br., and Epacris microphylla, R. Br., 

 as on Mt. Kosciusko, in abundance. 



Let me compare my impressions of the highest parts of the 

 Victorian and New South Wales Alps. The former consist of 

 peaks, ridges, gullies, and ravines, and there is comparative absence 

 of water. There are, however, " high plains " at Dargo and 

 Bogong, over 4,000 feet, but these I did not see. The highest 

 parts of the New South Wales Alps consist of "plains" plenti- 

 fully bestrewn with granite boulders, plenty of water — streams, 

 lagoons, and swamps — as there is perpetual snow ; the limit is 

 about 6,500 feet, which is just above the highest point of the 

 Victorian Alps. There is, in consequence, a rich moss flora, but 

 I collected few on the Victorian Alps. 



In conclusion, let me advise every Victorian botanist to visit 

 the Victorian Alps. He will gain health and expansion of ideas, 

 while he will return laden with a richly filled vasculum. To me 

 this all-too-short trip forms a happy episode in a happy life. 



