15 



cracks. The stupified and half singed insects were gathered on 

 outstretched kangaroo skins, or on fine nets made of the fibre of tlie 

 "Currajong" tree or the bark of a Pimelia, prepared with great 

 care, expanded on two poles, and then conveyed to hot ashes 

 wherein they were well stirred till done. The bodies would then 

 be shrivelled to the size of a grain of wheat, and the number con- 

 sumed by such an assemblage must have been consideraljle. The 

 larva?, from what I can see, must principally live upon the tussock 

 grass, since that is the only plant in these regions which could pos- 

 sibly outlive the attack of such numbers of these voracious insects. 



Towards evening we reached a place just below Pretty Point, 

 which I had selected on my up journey, and in the choice 

 of which I was not disappointed. On my way when crossing 

 Tom's Flat I gave the glacier marked rock, spoken of in Dr. 

 Lendenfeld's Report, a rapid but still careful examination, and 

 cannot say that I discovered any distinct stria?, such, for instance, 

 as I had seen in New Zealand, nor had I seen any previously on 

 the rocks in Wilkinson's Valley. There are certainly patches of 

 polished surface to be found, but these in my opinion may easily 

 be produced by less heavy friction than glacier action. I have 

 found polished patches on several rocks, though not so large as 

 those on the rock on Tom's Flat, and almost feel inclined to 

 attribute them to cleavage in the granite where some quartz 

 or quartzose veins or perhaps micacious veins occur. The absence, 

 so far as I can see, of any old moraines leaves the glacier 

 question very doubtful. If any remnants of a moraine were 

 found at the base of Wilkinson's Valley, the matter might fairly 

 be considered settled, but unless this be the case there seems to 

 me not much ground for it. The aspect of Wilkinson's Valley 

 undoubtedly favors a glacial formation, but then in my opinion 

 the moraine should also be there. It was not within the scope 

 of my researches to spend any time over this interesting question, 

 but a few days' careful examination and search in the right 

 places would, I believe, settle the matter beyond dispute. 



J\ly first night camping near Pretty Point was again very 

 unpleasant, the strong wind lilowing the tent down and breaking 

 the ridge-pole. After a perishing night the sun rose bright, and 

 the wind abated considerably, I therefore selected a better 

 sheltered place, and impro\ed it by a breakwind made of felled 

 trees. This precaution made me fairly comfortable for the 

 remainder of my stay at this camp, from the 7th to the 23rd 

 March. As anticipated this place proved a fine collecting ground, 

 and it is not likely a better locality could be found in the ranges. 

 Forest scrub, swamp, plains, and small watercourses are more or 

 less approximate, and only for the lateness of the season I should 

 have done still better. Here I obtained the greater number of 

 my Alpine Lepidoptera, and also many interesting Cohoptera, 

 besides many specimens of other orders of insects. The only species 



