14 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



locality for the botanist, as such plants as Astej- picridi/olius, 

 Solanian esuriale, S. simile, Acacia brachybotrya, Calocephalus 

 So7ideri, Myosorus minimus (commonly called the "Mouse-tail" 

 Plant), Cassinia arcuata, Eriostemon pungens, Lognnia liitifulia, 

 Brachyconie pacliyptera, Ilelichrysum leucopsidium, E remopliila 

 longifolia (the finest tree in the Mallee, bearing white flowers), 

 Dampiera lanceolata (with beautiful blue flowers), Billardiera 

 cymosa (also with blue flowers), Senecio d'altoni, Fittosporum 

 jjhillyroides (a species having a peculiar drooping habit and 

 minute yellow flowers), Calycothrix tetragona, and Thryptomene 

 ciliata — the two latter are beautiful flowering shrubs well worthy 

 of introduction into small gardens, being of easy growth, and 

 doing well near Melbourne in sandy soil — together with many 

 other interesting species, grew in abundance. The common 

 showy everlasting, Helichrysum lucidum, a well-known native 

 plant, which is now cultivated all over the world, grew to fully 

 four feet in height. 



The Bower-birds were rather scarce ; only two or three were 

 seen, but one of their bowers or playing grounds was met with. 

 It was about three feet long and two wide, and at one end a 

 quantity of bones, pieces of coloured glass, wire, lead, strips of 

 red cloth, &c., were strewn about. On counting, the bones, 

 principally the vertebrae of sheep, were found to number about 

 one hundred and fifty pieces. Growing on the flats were our 

 little orchid friends, Plerostylis riifa, var. mitchelli, Caladenia 

 2)aterso7ii (the " Spider Orcliid "), and the sweet-smelling Praso- 

 phyllum fascum. The rare plant, Teucrium sessiliflortim, 

 and the blue-flowered geranium, Erodiam cygnorimi, grew in 

 abundance. 



The only lizards observed were the common Rough-backed 

 Blue Tongue, Trachydosaurvs rugosus, and the Lace Iguana, 

 I/ydrosatirins varius. The former was noticed feeding on the 

 flowers of the " Blue Bells," Wahlenbergia gracilis. 



Snakes were exceedingly scarce, the Brown Snake, Dlemenia 

 superciliosa, being the only species noticed. Occasionally several 

 of the small species of snakes are found, and also the " Death 

 Adder," Acanthophus antarcticus, but the latter appears to be 

 rather rare in Victoria. 



The foregoing somewhat disjointed notes will, I hope, serve to 

 give some idea of the natural history of the Mallee, and I can 

 safely guarantee any botanist, ornithologist, or entomologist who 

 can spare the lime for a few days' investigation of that i)ortion of 

 our colony during the months of September, Octol)er, or 

 November in a favourable season, a most interesting outing, with 

 the further possibility of adding new species to the lists of our 

 fauna and flora, 



