132 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



crossing a little stream known as Contentment Creek, the track led 

 up a spur, and became somewhat steep. Numerous fallen 

 branches and logs lay alongside the track, and collectors were 

 soon at work turning them over, with the hope of obtaining 

 certain kinds of beetles, land planarians, peripatus, and other 

 forms of cryptozoic life which frequent such situations ; and they 

 were not unrewarded, for a good variety of planarians was 

 obtained, as well as several specimens of peripatus. The path 

 was bordered with the pink flowers of Tetratheca ciliata, with 

 here and there bushes of Pultencea muelleri, with its deep yellow 

 flowers. Higher up the delicate yellow flowers of Eriostemon 

 correifolius were noted, while the universal Goodenia ovata was 

 very fine. The Hill Tree Fern, Alsophila australis, now became 

 more frequent, and a fine specimen with a triple-stemmed trunk 

 was noticed near the track. After a somewhat level portion 

 another steep pinch occurred, where flying about in the sunshine 

 were numbers of the pretty butterfly Xenica Jwbartia, of which 

 specimens were secured. The Bracken Fern, Pteris aquilina, on this 

 spur was very high and dense, and prevented much exploration of 

 the hillside. A few bushes of Prostanthera melissifolia, with a few 

 expanded purple flowers were seen, while among some rocks grew 

 the creeping Fan-leaved Fern, Aspleniumjlabellifolium. Arrived 

 at the falls, a pretty sight met our view. Here was a beautiful 

 fern gully, full of the usual vegetation, with the water of Content- 

 ment Creek dashing down the rugged rocks and disappearing in 

 the depths below. Photographs of the falls were taken, and some 

 time was spent in the search for the lower forms of animal life 

 among the moist and decaying vegetable matter. On a subse- 

 quent visit to this locality about eighteen ferns were identified, 

 among them being Lomaria lanceolata, L. fluviatilis, Aspidium 

 capense, Asplenium bulbiferum, and Gleichenia flabellata. The 

 Batswing Fern, Pteris incisa, was very luxuriant, sending up fronds 

 four to five feet high. The curious lycopod, Tmesipteris tannensis, 

 was found in fruit on the tree-fern trunks, where were also noticed 

 the orchids Chiloglottis gunnii and Corysanlhes pruinosa, the 

 former being in flower. A singular nodular fungus was growing 

 on many of the tree trunks, which yielded abundance of dense 

 black spores on drying. 



Some members scrambled down a hundred feet or so to the 

 lower falls, which are the prettier sight of the two, and below 

 which is a deep gorge full of vegetation of all kinds. The Sassa- 

 fras, Atherosperma moschatum, had just finished flowering, and was 

 entwined with the stems of the Supplejack, Tecoma australis, 

 which was noticed in bloom lower down. Another climber, 

 Clematis aristata, had made use of the bracken in places, and was 

 conspicuous with its large creamy flowers. Returning to camp, 

 the midday meal was disposed of, after which the members dis- 



