THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 33 
THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY EXCURSION. TO 
LILYDALE. 
Taxine advantage of the holiday on Monday, 25th May, a Club 
excursion was arranged for that day, and after some little discussion 
at the previous monthly meeting, it was decided to visit Lilydale, 
as being perhaps the most promising locality at that season of the 
year. Accordingly at 6.15 a.m., about sixteen members of the Club, 
including two or three ladies, met at the Prince’s Bridge station, and 
leaving town a few minutes after, in due course arrived at Lilydale. 
Several more members were picked up at the suburban stations, and 
at Lilydale three others appeared, who had gone up on _ the 
Saturday and Sunday, making altogether a party of about twenty- 
five. On arrival at Lilydale, it was decided to explore the valley 
of the Olinda Creek as being the most likely direction to reward 
the trouble of such early rising. Two parties were now formed, 
those intent on shooting going on first, the arrangement being 
made to unite again at a pretty spot on the creek known to the 
leaders. The rest of the party, consisting principally of botanists 
and entomologists, after despatching a late breakfast at Lithgow’s, 
started off towards the creek, keeping in a south-easterly direction, 
and were soon in scrubby country. The entomologists turned over 
logs and stripped the bark off trees in vain, nothing of any interest 
being obtained; flowering plants were also very scarce, but fungi 
were most abundant, and our mycologist had almost as much as she 
could do in collecting specimens, or packing away those brought to 
her by other members of the party. On the way several species of 
ferns were secured by those wanting them, a fine patch of Gletchenia 
circinata, being quite despoiled of its starry fronds for making ‘‘bird’s 
nests.” The sportsmen were now met, but with almost empty bags. 
For some unaccountable reason, the valley, usually a good collecting 
ground, was almost devoid of bird life. The only birds seen 
during the trip being the frontal shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus), 
yellow robin (Hopsaliria Australis), Tasmanian honey-eater 
(Meliorms Austracasiana), spine-billed honey-eater (Acantho- 
rhynchus tenuirosiris), gang-gang cockatoo (Callocephalon galeatum), 
and Pennant’s parrakeet (Platycercus Pennantiz.) 
A cutting at a bend of the creek was now reached, the damp 
sides of which were clothed with young seedling ferns of different 
varieties, in many stages of growth, also several beautiful species of 
fungi. A short distance a-head the camp fire was seen, and on 
reaching the spot a halt was made, and the luncheon baskets 
relieved of some of their good things. One of the members having 
offered his services as cook, tea was soon manufactured in the 
orthodox Australian style, and a vegetable beef-steak (Fistulina 
