150 THK VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



the Sassafras Creek, we came to the conclusion that while our 

 botanical friends would probably have been delighted with this 

 locality for their work, we were only wasting good time. We 

 therefore decided to work back to Belgrave station, and continue 

 our search along the railway line. Following the main road to 

 Belgrave, which we reached about 4.30 p.m., we worked along 

 the more open part within the railway fences towards Upwey. 

 We soon found we had made a change for the better, and our 

 nets were again brought into use. Our only umbrella had met 

 with an accident which prevented its being opened, so we had to 

 make our nets serve its purpose for beating. A number of 

 additional beetles, &c., were taken in this way, while the micro- 

 lepidoptera, together with larvae hunting, kept us fairly well 

 occupied. About a mile from Upwey station we left the railway 

 for more open country on the south of the line. Here we 

 devoted the remaining couple of hours at our disposal, and were 

 so well satisfied with this locality that we regretted we had not 

 reached it earlier in the day. After a rest and another meal we 

 sauntered along towards the railway line and thence to Ferntree 

 Gully, carefully forgetting our unfortunate umbrella, which is 

 lying somewhere in the bush — still another sacrifice to the cause 

 of science. 



The results of the excursion, if calculated from the value of the 

 specimens taken, were not very good ; but when it is remembered 

 that, with the exception of the leader, all the members of the 

 party were beginners, and that a great majority of the specimens 

 met with, together with the method of searching and handling, 

 were quite new to them, and that the opportunity was freely 

 availed of for asking and answering questions and pointing out 

 the various objects of interest, familiar to the experienced 

 collector, but new and strange to the beginner, then we must 

 regard the results as very satisfactory. 



We reached the station in good time for the 8.15 p.m. train 

 to Melbourne (our botanical friends having preceded us by the 

 5.30 p.m. train), all being thoroughly satisfied with the results of 

 the day's ramble. 



Of Coleoptera about 30 species were taken, of which the more 

 important were : — Percosoma montanum, Castel. ; Notonomus 

 chalybeus, Dej. ; N. peronii, Castel. ; Ceneus chalybeipennis, 

 Chand. ; Loxodactylus carinulatus, Chand. ; Ceratognathus niger, 

 Westw. ; Phyllotocus rufipennis, Bdv. ; Valgus lapeyreusei, Gory; 

 Apasia howitti, Pasc. ; Stigmodera burchelli. Gory ; S. varia, 

 Macl. ; S. signata ; Pempsamacra pygnisea, Newm. ; Hesthesis 

 plorator, Pasc. ; Euryspa vittata, Baly. ; Cherrus infaustus, Oliv. ; 

 Thallus vinula, Erich. 



Some 20 species of Lepidoptera were secured, among which 

 may be mentioned : — Scoliacma bicolor, Bdv. ; Termessa nivosa, 



