148 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol XXIV. 



Lizards in Captivity. — A pair of common " bloodsucker " 

 lizards, Tympanocryptis lineata, was captured at Fisherman's 

 Bend on 12th October. Both have now been in captivity for 

 two months. As a rule this species will not eat in captivity, but 

 these specimens will feed freely, each devouring at a meal between 

 15 and 20 common house flies. They actively pursue the flies, 

 which they catch on the end of the sticky tongue, and then 

 proceed to chew leisurely. The larger lizard, while captive, shed 

 its skin in small flakes, the largest patch of shed skin being about 

 a quarter-inch square. The moulting process took about three 

 weeks to complete. The ventral surface of this lizard is now 

 yellow under the lower jaw, throat, and thorax, while it is pink 

 under the hind legs and tail. The smaller lizard shows the 

 normal greyish colouring. — R. W. Armitage. 



The Flight of the Caper Butterfly. — During the pro- 

 gress of enormous numbers of this insect across my garden at 

 Balwyn last Sunday week (ist Dec), I noticed that they pursued 

 one fairly definite course, and that in the face of a strong breeze ; 

 that is to say, they came from the east and passed over to the 

 west. They showed no inclination to settle, but continued on 

 until lost to view. This Sunday (8ih Dec.) these butterflies 

 were not nearly so numerous, but what there were came from 

 south to north in the face of a moderate wind. This observa- 

 tion seems to be at variance with the usual view held, that flights 

 of insects are often due to a steady prevailing wind ; as, for 

 example, the frequent and undoubted instances of Continental 

 butterflies carried across the channel to the English shores. 

 The question arises, what determines these flights, which I 

 believe are better known in Queensland ? Is it the desire to 

 discover a suitable feeding ground for their progeny? — F. 

 Chapman. Balwyn, 9th Dec, 1907. 



Birds Near Melbourne. — " T. H. T." contributes to the 

 weekly column of "Nature Notes," published in the Argiis of 

 3rd January, some interesting notes on birds which are rarely seen 

 near Melbourne, but which this season have come south, 

 probably on account of the prevailing dry season. He mentions 

 that the White-shouldered Caterpillar-eater has nested freely 

 about Blackburn. At Wong Park, near Ringwood, he found the 

 nest of the Black-capped Tree-runner, and not far away nests 

 of the Rufous Song-Lark. Another observation was two clutches 

 of the Leaden Fly-catcher being fed, but the nests could not be 

 located. Cuckoos have, he says, been extremely numerous this 

 season, and no less than six Red-browed Finches' nests were 

 found about Olinda Creek, each containing a young dead 

 cuckoo. 



