THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 125 



commoner kinds of moths were fairly numerous, such as Hydrio- 

 mena suhochraria, Euchosca rubropunctaria, Phrissogonus 

 laticostatus, Taxeotis delogramma, and others among the 

 Geometrina ; several species of Talis, in the Crambidse, and many 

 of the Micros., such as Oxythecta acceplella, Ocystola paulinella, 

 Glyphipteryx cometopJiora, G. chrysolithella, jElocosma Tuar- 

 moraspis, and others which need not be specially mentioned. 

 In some of the shrubs in the gullies was found the wood-feeding 

 larvae of Hepiahis lignivora, whose presence can always be dis- 

 tinguished by the broad covering of silk and refuse with which it 

 conceals itself. The larvae tunnel in the stems of various shrubs, 

 eating the bark round the mouth of the tunnel. When about to 

 change into the chrysalis, which is about the end of December, it 

 closes the mouth of the tunnel with a silken pad, and it is by 

 observing this that the collector can always tell when to take it. 

 In the thick scrub in parts of Gippsland these larvae are common, 

 and large numbers are destroyed by the Black Cockatoos, 

 Calyptorhyiichus funereus, who tear open the tunnel with their 

 powerful bills, and thus secure the caterpillars. A few other larvae 

 were collected from the gum saplings, but nothing rare, being 

 chiefly those of the leaf-binders, such as Heliocausta hemiteles, 

 H. eusehna, and //. parthe7iop)a, and a Xyloryct, Tymhophora 

 peltastis. On reaching the hills we worked along the sides, 

 searching the small gullies and thickly timbered parts as we 

 went. 



In a Cottonbush the Yellow-faced Honey-eater, Ptilotis 

 chrysops, was seen sitting on its open nest, which on examination 

 was found to contain a single egg. Several deserted nests were 

 also seen, such as Acanthizas', Honey-eaters', &c., showing that 

 the birds nested here freely, and a careful search by anyone 

 having more time than we had would probably repay them. One 

 or two Rufous-fronted Fantails, and what we took to be the 

 Flame-breasted Robin, were seen in the more secluded parts. 

 Reptiles were scarce, no snakes being met with, although the day 

 was favourable for them. Among lizards was seen a young 

 blue-tongue, Gydodus nigroluteus, Hinulia Whitn, Gramma- 

 tophora muricata, and a few small ones, evidently Liolepisma 

 Guichenoti. Two specimens of the planarian worm, Geoplana 

 Hoggii, were found under a log, on the moist ground at the foot 

 of the hills, and a few rare spiders were shaken from the dead 

 branches lying on the ground. In Diptera some interesting and 

 uncommon species were taken, and of Homoptera one specimen 

 of Cicada torrida, and a few others belonging to the Fulgoridae. 

 Among orchids one species, Caladenia testacea, was taken. The 

 results of the trip show that, as a collecting ground, this district 

 in coiTimon with others is suffering from the effects of the 

 continued dryness of this and the previous seasons, as well as 



