August, 1907.] THE ViCTORIAN NATURALIST. 73 



to be foufid under partially submerged logs, but have now dis- 

 appeared from the creek. Some years ago I took several in the 

 Five-mile Creek, near the Hanging Rock, in the Woodend 

 district. 



The Freshwater Herring or Grayling, Frototroctes inarmna, 

 Gunther, was occasionally taken in the olden days. It is an 

 exquisite little fish, semi-transparent, with a silvery belly. Mr. 

 VV. Bowie mformed me that years ago he used to make fine hauls 

 of them in the Yarra near Studley Park, and that they possessed 

 the smell of cucumbers. Some twelve years ago, when fishing in 

 ihe Deep Creek, under the Cobavv Ranges, not far from Lance- 

 field, I took a few specimens of ibis fish, and found they possessed 

 the odour mentioned. The individuals we caught seldom exceeded 

 a length of four inches, but on one occasion 1 caught a solitary 

 specimen which measured fully six inches. I have been told that 

 they used to be taken lower down the creek, at Keilor, at one 

 time. 



I might mention here that Jackson's Creek, from 1846 to 1852, 

 ceased to run every year from end of December or early in 

 January until the autumn rains about April, but one season it 

 remained a chain of waterholes until August. Since 1852 the 

 cessation of flow has been very rare, though a few years back it 

 stopped running for a few weeks. When the creek started again 

 the inflow of fresh water into the stagnant pools caused some 

 destruction of Blackfish. We used to find them moping in the 

 shallows, more or less covered with a fluffy white fungus, which 

 also occurred on any dead ones. 



Another fish occasionally caught in Jackson's Creek was the 

 Tupong or Black Flathead, Psendaphritis urvillii, Cuv. and Val. 

 Below our dwelling was a pool of good depth and some 100 

 paces long. Throughout a long stoppage of the creek four flocks 

 of sheep were daily watered at this hole, consequently it at last 

 became so low that the Messrs. Page bailed it out for the sake of the 

 fish. Among those obtained was one of these Black Flatheads. 

 During our many fishing excursions we had at odd times landed 

 small specimens of this fish, especially when the evenings were 

 cold and windy ; such an event was always taken as a hint to 

 roll up our lines, for we seldom secured any other fish afterwards. 



Both silver and yellow-bellied eels were numerous ; the heaviest 

 I ever captured weighed 4>^ lbs. The Lamprey has occasionally 

 been taken, more often after the creek had ceased running for a 

 time. 



Reptiles. — Black Snakes, Ptseudechis porphi/riacus, were never 

 plentiful, and seem now to have become extinct. Brown Snakes, 

 Diemenia textilis, are still common, but are often mistaken for the 

 Tiger Snake, JVotechis scutatus. One season long ago we killed 

 thirty-seven of these reptiles. 



