134 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



(Typha), covering the surface of the water, whilst Claytonia, 

 Lobelia, and other plants which frequent these pools of saltish 

 water grew in abundance. The pretty little Reed Warbler is to be 

 seen here, with Blue Wrens and others of the feathered tribe, 

 these little creatures hopping about as cheerfully as ever. Times 

 with them will soon be changed, however, as the idiotic army of 

 " pot-shooters" are getting ready for their diabolical work of the 

 extermination of bird life all and sundry. If the members of 

 the Field Naturalists' Club have any true interest in the protection 

 of our native birds, now is the time for them to be up and doing. 

 The gun tax, if only in the interests of the growers, must come, 

 and we hope it may come quickly. Frankston having been 

 reached, a start was made towards the township, which was 

 passed through, and we then turned in through the recreation 

 ground, in which there is a large swamp, called, I believe, by the 

 good people of Frankston, the Public Lake, and on the edge of 

 which the rare orchid, Spiranthes australis, is found, although 

 sparingly and later on in the season. 



We could find little in plants, and as for insects of use, they 

 were not to be found at all. Pushing through a splendid lot of 

 scrub (Leptospermum) in full bloom, we found it to be swarming 

 with the little green beetle, Diphucephala colas pidioides, and 

 with nothing else. It would seem as if this beetle, when 

 plentiful, is not troubled with the company of other kinds of 

 beetles, or in fact insects of any kind. This singular fact has 

 often been remarked by collectors. The common Tea-tree, 

 Melaleuca ericifolia, also the handsome yellow Limnanthemum, 

 were in splendid bloom. The two singular ferns, Schizcea bifida 

 and S.fistulosa, also Drosera binata and other bog plants, grow here 

 in abundance. The day was now intensely hot, nearly 90 in the 

 shade and 143 in the sun, this being for most people, our leader 

 included, much too hot for comfort. Having found little or 

 nothing in either plants or insects, we ascended the hills, going 

 towards Silverwater Creek, a pretty stream which empties itself 

 into the sea near where it is crossed by the main road to 

 Schnapper Point. A few years since and one could find 

 Orthoceras and Calochilus, two pretty orchids, but our bad luck 

 seemed to follow us the whole day, for we could not find a single 

 plant of either ; and although we beat hundreds of bushes for 

 insects, n one were to be found. We were now getting tired of 

 searching and not finding anything, so we headed for home after 

 having Junched in the usual happy-go-lucky style peculiar to 

 people of our class. Coming to a public (?) spring, well known 

 to those travelling in these parts, we found the door in which the 

 tap is enclosed to be locked, so that we were at a loss to know 

 how to get a drink of water. Near this spring grows a pretty 

 scarlet-leaved Drosera, also a minute species of Pterostylis, not 



