THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 79 



its nest in a sapling ; but I noted tracks of both Kangaroo and 

 Wallaby, and any number of Wombat holes. On one 

 occasion when I was up this river with a little fox 

 terrier he disappeared into one of these holes — one 

 might almost term them tunnels — and I could hear him 

 and the Wombat arguing matters in no uncertain tones. I 

 tried to call him out, but without success, and, supposing he could 

 not hear me, got head foremost into the tunnel, and eventually 

 succeeded in calling him off. I only mention this incident 

 because I lit a match before I got into the hole, and crawling up 

 the side I found a small specimen of Rhytida lampra, the only 

 land snail I have seen in the Alexandra district. 



During my ride home I noted the following birds in addition to 

 those already mentioned, mostly on the lagoons which intersect 

 the Goulburn flats : — Blue Crane, Ardea novce-hollandice, Spur- 

 wing Plover, Lohivanellus lobatus. Black Duck, Anas 

 superciliosa, Bald-Coot, Porfhyrio melanonotus. Straw-necked 

 Ibis, Geronticus spinicollis, Spoonbill, Platalea flavipes, Magpie 

 Lark, Grallina picata, and a Hawk I could not identify. This 

 makes a list of thirty-eight birds noted in one day's walk, which I 

 suppose is a fair average for a district. 



NOTES ON THE LARV^. AND PUP^ OF BIRCHIP 

 HETEROCERA. 



Part I. 

 By D. Goudie. 

 {Read before the Field Naturalists^ Club of Victoria, llth Aug., 1902.) 

 Xylorycta homoleuca. Lower. — This insect, though somewhat 

 local, would appear to have a wide range, being found not only 

 in the Mallee, but in North Queensland. The caterpillars bore 

 into the twigs of the Needlewood, Hakea leucojjtera, to the depth 

 of about 1% inches, and fastening the mouth of their 

 habitation with web and refuse, devour at their leisure the leaves 

 they convey there during the night. They attack young and 

 stunted trees in preference to old ones, and generally choose a 

 fork in which to make their abode. When about to change they 

 spin a very hard yellow wad across the entrance of their tunnel, 

 and it can thus be seen when to take them. The moths emerge 

 in November. The following descriptions of the larva and pupa 

 may be of use to collectors : — 



Young Larva. — Head dark brown. First segment dark, 

 shining red. Prominent. Ground colour of body slaty-grey, 

 darker in the full-grown caterpillar. Dorsal line dark grey ; this, 

 however, appears to come and go with the respiration of the 

 larva. On each side of this there is a row of polished black 



