132 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV 



cya7ieus, was everywhere seen, and a nest containing three eggs 

 was found close to the farm-house. 



Returning for breakfast, we were joined by our botanists, who 

 had gone further afield. About nine o'clock a start was made 

 for the ranges. The river and adjacent flats are bordered with 

 tine blackwood and other acacias, &c., affording splendid harbour 

 for various kinds of small birds, such as Tits, Robins, Fly- 

 catchers, Honey-eaters, &c. Our attention was drawn to the 

 somewhat unusual sight of a Pelican flying heavily overhead. 

 Insects were particularly scarce ; very few Lepidoptera were seen, 

 and these only of the commonest species. A few isolated patches 

 of Leptospermum were eagerly searched, but yielded nothing but 

 a few of the commoner beetles. The arrival of another member, 

 who had made an early start and cycled from town, now com- 

 pleted our party. 



Following the western margin of the reservoir, we entered 

 what promised to be some better country, in the valley of the 

 Running Creek. This is the principal stream entering the Plenty 

 River above the reservoir from the west. Here we took our first 

 planarians, Geoplana mediolhieata and G. hoggii. We followed 

 the creek for some distance, but were soon greatly disappointed 

 to find that the greater part of the valley had been burnt out by 

 bush-fires during recent summers. Collecting, as far as zoology 

 was concerned, was almost out of the question, though our 

 botanists fared better, and collected, among other plants, a 

 number of fine examples of orchids. Birds were numerous 

 along the bed of the creek, and among those seen were 

 the Rufous and White-throated Thickheads, Sacred Kingfisher, 

 Orange-winged Sittella, Scarlet and Flame-breasted Robins, 

 Masked Wood-Swallows, Leatherheads, and others. Wombats 

 were evidently numerous, judging by the large numbers of their 

 burrows and upturned soil along the hillsides. At mid-day we 

 lunched at a spot evidently used in the early days as a crossing 

 place by timber-cutters, whose overgrown track we had traversed 

 for some distance. About half a mile further on we decided to 

 leave the valley, and, turning eastwards, crossed the ridge at the 

 back of Cleeland's Hill, close to the granite boundary, and, enter- 

 ing the Plenty Valley, passed through some rather rough, scrubby 

 country back to the reservoir, where we spent a short time among 

 the timber on the eastern bank. 



Some of our party proceeded along the track towards the Cas- 

 cades for a mile or so, while the remainder returned home. 



Sunday evening turned particularly cold, and a roaring fire 

 engrossed our attention until bed-time. The possibility of sleep 

 was anxiously discussed, and it was finally decided to make the 

 attempt. A careful selection of the warmest looking corners was 

 made, and the majority unanimously elected to lie amongst the 



