90 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



we noticed several large logs, and although immediately under 

 them there was no life except a few Centipedes, we were more 

 fortunate in digging into the decayed portions, for we there 

 secured two species of Lucanid beetles, viz., Figulus regnlaris and 

 F. liliputanus. We next tried the eucalypt saplings, but these 

 gave no results, so we turned our attention to the loose bark of 

 the big trees, and here we were more successful, securing 

 Tryphocharia hamata, also a few small Elaters and Cleridge. At 

 one tree — and I have often before noticed how one tree amongst 

 many will possess an abundance of insect life — every piece of 

 loose bark covered several of the universally common Longicorn, 

 Phoracantha recurva, of which we could easily have secured over 

 a hundred. Up to now we had not seen a specimen of the rather 

 large Paropsis with black and brown stripes, but upon crossing into 

 another paddock every tree was swarming with them ; you could 

 not remove a piece of bark without disturbing scores, and we do 

 not in the least exaggerate when we say they were literally there 

 by thousands. Close to here some clearing was going on, and 

 numbers of large trees had been felled, and from the dry leaves 

 of these we relied upon getting some good things, but were 

 doomed to disappointment, as the shakings into our umbrellas 

 were nothing but ants and spiders, and not many of these. On 

 the river bank was growing a fine plant belonging to the Sandal- 

 woods, viz., Choretrum spicatuni. This plant is only found in 

 the North-West and North-East, and as this was the solitary 

 specimen to be found anywhere near Dimboola, Mr. D'Alton, who, 

 we may remark, is the Shire Secretary and Engineer, also a 

 well-recognized botanist, is very anxious to have it preserved. 



On the following day (Monday) we tried the sand hills on 

 the other side of the township, away from the river, on the 

 Warracknabeal road, and on the Baeckea behrii, whose white 

 flowers are just coming out, we took a number of the Buprestis 

 beetle Stiginodera vittata. Grevillea aquifolium, or Holly-leaved 

 Grevillea, was in fine flower, and from this we were very 

 pleased at securing two species of Symphyletes, viz., S.Jarinosiis, 

 and one of the name of which we are doubtful. Unlike most 

 beetles, which are easily shaken ofi", these stuck most strongly to 

 the slender branches, and had to be pulled off. As they are 

 very similar in colour to the branches, it was a by no 

 means easy task to catch sight of them, but it was easy indeed 

 to miss them. Two Longicorns which we here captured deserve 

 special notice. One is, we think, a species of Uracanthus, about 

 an inch long and of a greyish-brown colour. The elytra are 

 very striated, and altogether it is very unlike any other Uracanthus 

 we possess, and we are therefore in hopes it will prove to be a 

 new one. This was shaken o^ \he Acacia brachyhotrya, of which 

 a good many wei-e growing hereabouts. The other was the pretty 



