26 fHE WOMBAf; 



low; in unloosing the rope, it just slipped a quarter of ah inch, 

 shooting the eggs out with considerable force. Regarding 

 exposure, always use an actinometer, or you will be certain to 

 under-expose, and will find they generally require from 10 to 

 40 seconds with //22 or y/32. In consequence of being so close 

 to the object, small stops are required to bring everything 

 into focus ; it is also necessary to back your plates, or better 

 still, use a Sandell double-coated plate, which is a fairly rapid 

 one." 



SOME NOTES ON ALEXANDRA. 



By F. L. Billinghurst. 



In the November number of " The Wombat " appeared a list 

 of some birds I had taken or observed in the neighbourhood 

 of Castlemaine. Since compiling it I have moved my quarters 

 to Alexandra, and though not in a position yet to make any 

 lists, perhaps a few notes on this apparently little known 

 district may be of interest. 



The locality is out of the beaten track, and but little 

 visited except by the ubiquitous " commercial," and yet it is 

 one of the most charming spots in Victoria, lovely river valleys 

 alternating with wooded hills, developing at no great distance 

 into veritable mountains, such as Mount Torbreck, 4,300 ft. ; 

 the Cathedral, 2,200 ft., and so on. Down the sides of these 

 hills come little brawling trout streams, the water ice cold on 

 the hottest day, and the banks one mass of ferns, from the 

 stately tree fern to the modest but lovely maidenhair, which 

 grows like a weed everywhere. A favourite picnic spot of the 

 Alexandrians is the Niagara Fall, some 12 miles distant, 

 where the Snobs Creek, a very respectable volume of water, 

 takes a series of drops aggregating some 350 ft., the first drop 

 being at least 60ft., and then rushes away through masses of 

 shrub and fern to empty itself into the Goulburn. Space will 

 not permit me to dilate upon the various beauty spots of the 

 neighbourhood, such as the Acheron and the Rubicon with 

 their noisy waters, Crystal Creek with its huge bushes of coral 

 fern, the Goulburn itself with its fringe of wattles, which must 

 be seen in bloom to be appreciated ; suffice it to say that with 

 a clean little town, a first-class hotel, lovely scenery, and 

 within reasonable distance of Melbourne the place is deserving 

 of much more attention from tourists than it receives. One 

 of the most popular circular trips in the colony should be the 

 following : — Melbourne to Healesville by train, Healesville 

 over the Black Spur by coach to Marysville, where there is 

 some magnificent scenery, and two or three days can be well 

 spent, Marysville to Alexandra by coach, and thence back to 

 Melbourne by train. 



