in the* trees, their piercing notes echo¬ 
ing through the timber. A point to be 
noted is that the National Park is a 
reserve for our native fauna and flora 
for all time, in effect a “living mu¬ 
seum." To this end many of the trees 
have labels attached giving their ver¬ 
nacular and scientific names. 
After winding along the face of some 
sandstone cliffs, the track enters upon 
a fairly even grade, and the second 
milestone is passed. Eucalvpts, beech 
(generally miscalled “myrtle”), and 
sassafras, are the predominant trees. 
About the 2000 foot line the celery-top 
pine begins to appear, and the third 
mile peg is passed. The celery-top 
pine is the representative of an anci¬ 
ent type which once spread far beyond 
its present distribution. The silence 
of tlie hush is occasionally broken by 
the calls of the hill crow shrikes or 
the louder notes of the cockatoos, two 
species of which were* noticed, the yel¬ 
low-tailed black (t‘alyptorbynchus) ano 
the white (1‘acntua). Numerous smaller 
species of birds are to la* seen in tin- 
scrub along the track, particularly th> 
mountain thrush (Oreoeincla). 
As the trail rises higher on the moun¬ 
tain side patches of horizontal scrub 
(Anodopetulum) are passed through, 
and blessings are passed on tin* track, 
for the entangled brandies of this tree 
form an almost impenetrable barrier to 
explorers in virgin country. Leather- 
wood and tin* more alpine forms or. tin- 
cucalypts now appear in many cases 
their trunks are covered with ‘limning 
epaeris. the beautiful red bell-like 
flowers of which act as gems to the 
beauties of the forest, 
Between the fourth and fifth mile peg 
the forest begins to thin out. and the 
vegetation becomes more alpine in char¬ 
acter. The rugged outlines of the edge 
of the mountain plateau now appear 
for the first time. and tin* cone o: 
Seager’s Lookout shows on the right. 
The track becomes more rocky, and 
leads past file fifth mile peg to the 
small rest house at the turn-off track 
to Lake Nicliolls and Beatties Tarn. 
The main track turns to the left, crosses 
the creek, and then winds amidst mas¬ 
sive rocks towards Lake Fenton. The 
vegetation now consists largely of 
stunted eucalvpts. King William and 
celery-top pine, together with patches or 
the picturesque giant grass tree and 
deciduous beech (Fagus gunni). The 
latter is of interest as being the only 
native deciduous tree in Tasmania—* 
another survival of a distant botanical 
era. 
Rising towards the sixth milestone 
one begins to appreciate the immense 
ice forces which were responsible for 
the formation of the moraine which 
forms Lake Fenton, for the lake is 
merely a body of water at the head ot 
a gully, which is held there by a well 
of morainal debris left bv a retreating 
glacier in the distant past. It is well 
to remember that the topography of 
Mount Field is distinctly glacial, and 
those who are interested would do well 
to read the instructive and interesting 
accounts relating to the Park which 
have been written from time to time 
by Professor Sir T. W. Edgeworth 
'David, Professor (Irillith Taylor. Air. 
A. N. Lewis,* and other geologists. 
Winding along amidst the rocky bed 
of the valley, with the rocky bastions 
of Seager's 'Lookout on the right, and 
Mount .Monash on the left > the track 
leads past the sixth nine peg, and 
thence to the huts. A few yards be¬ 
yond tin* lints Lake Fenton is to be 
■seen stretching a mile to the north 
west. 
Whilst the billy boiled we were able 
to reflect upon our journey and to 
listen to the opinions of tnose mem¬ 
bers who were visiting the Park for the 
first time. Incidents of travel, such 
as are inseparable from such a journey 
in the highlands and back country 01 
Tasmania, naturally gave rise to discus¬ 
sion. but the primitive and natural 
beauty of the mountain track im¬ 
pressed one and all. For over six 
miles the track leads through virgin 
forest, leading from the tall eucalvpts 
of the lowlands to tin* stunted pines 
of the more alpine regions. In be¬ 
tween tlie*e distinct types are inter¬ 
woven a varying flora which einbracr s 
all the typical Tasmanian forms, and 
in effect gives an inspiring insight into 
the majesty of our Tasmanian Forests. 
7 
