THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 147 



land Bay, but in structure it is more closely allied to H. nigriceps, 

 Gunth., a species inhabiting the western districts of New South 

 Wales, and differs largely from all the species previously recorded 

 as occurring in Victoria. Although I regard the species as new, 

 I refrain from naming it until I have an opportunity to examine 

 other specimens. 



The following is a brief description : — Head scales as in //. 

 nigriceps ; head not distinct from neck, depressed, rounded ; tail 

 short, very distinct from trunk ; upper surface of posterior half 

 of tail covered with large hexagonal scales. 



Scales of body in 15 rows. 



Abdominal plates, 152. 



Subcaudals, in a single series, 24. 



Total length, 14^4 inches. 



Head, 6 lines. 



Tail, \y 2 inches. 

 Colour. — Pale olive brown above, the anterior margin of each 

 scale dark brown ; head and a broad vertebral band extending to 

 tip of the tail dark purple brown ; under-surfaces whitish, 

 immaculate. The tongue is white, with two faint longitudinal 

 dark lines. 



WALHALLA AS A COLLECTING GROUND. 

 By Henry Thos. Tisdall, F.L.S. 

 (Read before Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 11th Feb., 1895.) 

 The great drawback in taking a trip to Walhalla is the wretched 

 roads from the railway stations. There are three roads — one from 

 Moe, the second from Traralgon, and the third from Toongabbie ; 

 each of them presents its own peculiarities, but they all agree in 

 two particulars — namely, vile tracks (especially in winter) and 

 lovely scenery. 



The way I selected was from Moe. This township consists of 

 the usual number of hotels, shops, banks, churches, &c, generally 

 found in such places, but it is peculiarly situated on a sandy 

 plain covered with bracken and small trees of honeysuckle 

 (Banksia), ti-tree, heaths, and other flowering shrubs. 1 never 

 saw the white variety of the Epacris impressa in such quantity or 

 so beautiful as on this plain. The first fifteen miles passes through 

 a district of low sandy hills, covered with heaths, Banksias, and 

 occasional clumps of Blackwood trees. On the slopes of the high 

 sandy hills which fall towards the River Tyers there is a splendid 

 collecting ground for botanists during the spring and early 

 summer, the hills being covered with a perfect carpet of flowers 

 and ferns. After passing the Tyers the soil is of much better 

 quality, and the hills, which rise gradually to a height of 1,000 to 

 1,200 feet above sea level, are well clothed with fine gum trees, 

 the most noticeable being Messmate, E. obliqua, White Gum, E. 



