140 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



Neil, elected to take his place and share in the day's adventures. 

 About 8 o'clock a.m. a nasty, cold, drizzling rain set in from the 

 south-west, which threatened ill for the day's operations, but after 

 rather more than an hour's duration it ceased, and the sun 

 asserted itself, promising a fine day. 



After a brief consultation as to which route to take it was 

 decided to go south towards the vast Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp, but 

 we did not get very far before rain started again for a short time, 

 which made things very unpleasant. However, we persisted in 

 shaking every bit of bloom and likely bush, but found that 

 insects had stowed themselves away in drier quarters for the time, 

 except the spider tribe, whose webs were in evidence everywhere, 

 and I must confess that it is not one of the most pleasant sensa- 

 tions to feel their light, airy scaffolding continually across one's 

 face, let alone clothes, containing, as it so often does, the remains 

 of past banquets of flies, locusts, moths, &c. 



After proceeding some distance we came across a large patch 

 of Helichrysum and Leptospermum in bloom, but did not get any- 

 thing worth noting after a vigorous shaking for some time. Then 

 our first and only capture of the rare Cetonia, Chondropyga 

 (Schizorrhina) gulosa (Christyi), was secured on the latter shrub. 

 Soon after we were driven to seek shelter such as it afforded from 

 a neighbouring clump of Peppermint Gums, Eucalyptus amygda- 

 lina. While there we passed the time in bark-stripping, but did 

 not get many good things. However, we found the fine Longi- 

 corn, Phoracantha tricuspis, almost ready to emerge from its 

 chamber, and a few of the fine Elater, Tetralobus Cunninghamii, 

 were also taken, while hosts of the common bark-dwellers, as 

 Elaters, Cleridae, Caribs, &c, were left to carry on their domestic 

 arrangements in peace. One specimen was also taken of the 

 singular and curious family of the Paussidae, Arthropterus (sp.) 

 It may not be generally known that this beetle possesses the 

 singular properties of the Bombardier Beetle, described in Mr. C. 

 French's, jun., account of his trip to the Murray, to which I 

 would refer those who have not already heard or read it, but the 

 report of this species is much louder, and distinctly heard as soon 

 as you touch it, while the fluid it discharges is very volatile and 

 nauseous, and if it comes in contact with the fingers it leaves a 

 stain very similar to that made by caustic, and if not wiped off at 

 once is almost as difficult to remove : such is my experience. I 

 am in hopes of shortly finding out the component parts of this 

 gaseous fluid, and, if successful, I will furnish a few notes to the 

 Club, as a medical friend has kindly undertaken to work it out if 

 I can furnish him with live specimens. 



After the rain had modified we again sallied forth on our way 

 and shortly captured several beautiful specimens of the rare 

 beetle, Galbodema Mannerheimi, in its home retreat. After another 



