Dec, 1908.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 131 



About eight o'clock we met the four members who had come 

 up by the evening train. After a short rest a moonHght visit was 

 made to the Toorourrong Reservoir ; this is about 30 acres in 

 extent, and is prettily situated at the junction of the eastern 

 branch of the Plenty River and Jack's Creek, and in the bright 

 moonlight, so clear as to reflect the adjacent hills in the placid 

 waters, presented a beautiful sight, which well repaid us our walk. 

 On the return journey, in the stillness of the night, the clear, 

 lively whistle of the Black-and-White Fantail was repeatedly 

 heard close by, accompanied occasionally by the mournful note 

 of the Boobook Owl. In the evening a Podargus was seen to 

 perch on a tree close to the house. When first seen it was resting 

 in a crouching position, but when approached it stretched itself 

 up in a vertical position, with its bill pointing upwards in a line 

 with its body, and then might easily have been mistaken for a 

 broken branch of the tree on which it was resting. 



Thoroughly satisfied with our trip so far, we turned in for a 

 good sleep, in anticipation of a long day among the hills on the 

 morrow. Sleep, however, was out of the question. The night 

 had turned very cold, and with every hour it seemed to become 

 colder. Mutterings, groans, and long-drawn sighs were heard all 

 round, accompanied by rustling straw as one after another twisted 

 and rolled about in a vain endeavour to find a warmer spot. 



Relief was felt when at four o'clock the Laughing Jackass, fol- 

 lowed shortly by the melodious Magpie, announced the coming day. 

 Five o'clock saw most of our shivering party astir. The morning 

 was cold, and the grass wet from the heavy dew which had fallen 

 during the night, but a sharp walk on the adjoining hillsides, 

 turning logs, stripping bark, &c., soon helped us to forget our 

 long night's experience. A special search was made for the 

 larv3e and pupse of the rare blue butterfly Ogyris olane. The 

 larvae feed on the Mistletoe, Loranthus ^^'^ndulus, and when fully 

 grown travel down the tree-trunk (often a considerable distance) 

 to near the base, pupating under the loose bark. We were 

 early rewarded by the discovery of a pupa, which led to an 

 active search on every tree trunk on which the Mistletoe could be 

 seen, and two or three additional pupae were taken. One of these 

 has since emerged. The larvae of one of our skipper butterflies, 

 Hesperilla do7i7iysa, feed on the Sword Grass, Cladium, sp., the 

 pupae being securely concealed between two leaves neatly bound 

 together. A few of these were also found, and one has since 

 emerged. Birds were fairly numerous, one of the first to attract 

 attention by its beautiful note being the Hooded Robin, 

 Melanodrijas hicolor. The Magpie- or Mud-Lark, Harmonious 

 Shrike-Thrush, White -throated Tree-creeper, White-throated 

 Thickhead, Pallid Cuckoo, Butcher-bird, and many others were 

 noted during our morning's ramble. The Blue Wren, Malurus 



