56 
E. R. Saunders. 
stemmed Cassytha (Lauraceae) and the Native Cherry ( Exocarpus , 
Santalaceae) so well known as having its stone outside the flesh, 
while the gully bottoms furnished a hunting-ground for various 
Ferns. These valleys are being increasingly brought under culti¬ 
vation for orchards and market gardens, with the result that 
certain species formerly plentiful have now become scarce such as 
Gleichenia circinata. In addition to' Gleichenia, specimens were 
obtained of Asplenium labelli/oliuiu, Lomaria discolor and L. capense. 
In the course of the drive to Mannum very varied country was 
traversed, the route passing through first woodland, then a savannah 
region and finally the Flats which are being gradually reclaimed 
for wheat growing. In the tree region Eucalyptus rostrala and E. 
leucoxylon are the dominant types. In the savannah country the 
rises are occupied by Casuarina while the lower ground is covered 
with grass or in places with a carpet of a small species of Erodium. 
In these latter spots the small bare interspaces between the plants 
were overspread with a tangle of last year’s shed fruits. On the 
Flats, where the original vegetation is still left, occur dwarf 
Eucalyptus forming the typical “ Mallee ” scrub, together with the 
native pine Callitris. At the river itself Azolla, which farther east 
we frequently saw covering areas like Duckweed here in England, 
and the thickets of “ Lignum ” ( Muehlenbeckia Cunninghami, Poly- 
gonaceae) growing along the edge of the “ billabong ” were the chief 
plants of interest. 
(With so full a programme I was unfortunately unable to find 
time to visit the Botanic Garden, and I am therefore unable to say 
anything about it). 
VICTORIA: 
Excursions from Melbourne. The Melbourne 
Botanic Garden. 
Of the several excursions arranged at Melbourne those to 
Emerald and Warburton were of especial interest to botanists. 
In the course of the rail journey to Emerald there was good 
opportunity of seeing the Tree-ferns Alsophila australis and Dick - 
sonia antarctica in their native habitat, while in the fern gully 
explored by the party on reaching its destination a closer view was 
obtainable. The ground was in cultivation up to within a few yards 
of the gully bottom, but in this bottom strip many specimens were 
