'^^^'■';^''| Excursion to Baw Baw. 



1914 J 



207 



lime, and bids fair to become a good industry. The valley of 

 Cooper's Creek up which we were now travelling is a delightful 

 bit of greenery, young Silver Wattles and gums growing in 

 the highest state of perfection. The Hne makes a very fine 

 horseshoe bend just beyond Platina, and in a few miles further 

 we were at Harris, and had completed the round trip. It was 

 now all down hill to Moe, which we reached about g.30 a.m. 

 Three of the party went on to town by the morning train ; the 

 others decided to stay till the evening train — some to investigate 

 the flat country towards Gooding for insects and pond life, 

 while Mr. Whitmore and myself took a trip up the Narracan 

 Valley hne, running off to the south of the main line. This is 

 a picturesque valley, the line crossing the stream nearly a 

 dozen times in less than that number of miles. Numerous fine 

 Blackwoods have been left along the stream by the settlers 

 when clearing their farms. At Coalville signs of a former 

 industry of the place indicated by the name were seen. Just 

 beyond Narracan is a fine fall on the creek of about 25 to 30 feet, 

 over which a good volume of water was pouring. Here a 

 peculiar growth of bright pink, grass-Hke stems was covering 

 some of the basalt stones near the water's edge, which puzzled 

 me ; but on showing it to Mr. French later, he immediately 

 asked if any willows grew near ; I said " Yes," so my pink 

 grass turned out to be willow roots. On returning to Moe 

 we found the others had not had a very exciting day. We 

 managed to get an empty compartment in the train, and so 

 had a very pleasant return journey to town. 



I am indebted to several members for more detailed accounts 

 of the objects collected. 



Ornithology. — The following birds were noted during the Baw 

 Baw Excursion : — Black Cockatoo, Butcher-bird, Bult-rumped Tit, 

 Black-and-White Fantail, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, Brown Flycatcher, 

 Blue Wren, Coachwhip-bird, Crow, Fairy Martin, Gang-Gang Cockatoo, 

 Harmonious Thrush, Lyre-bird, Laughing Jackass, Magpie-Lark, Musk 

 Lorikeet, Nankeen Kestrel, Pipit, Pennant's Parrakeet, Pallid Cuckoo, 

 Rosella, Red Wattle-bird, Spine-tailed Swift. Strepera, Sordid Wood- 

 Swallow, Striated Tit, Spotted Ground-bird, White-throated Thickhead, 

 White-shafted Fantail, White-throated Tree-creeper, White-backed 

 Magpie, Yellow Robin, Yellow-rumped Tit, Yellow-throated Thickhead. 

 Pennant's Parrakeet was the most common species noted, and evidenced 

 a partiality for the flower-heads of the composite Senecio velleyoides, 

 which grew luxuriantly on the range. — J. G. O'Donoghue. 



Entomology. — The following are some of the more important insects 

 collected during the Baw Baw excursion, for the identification of some 

 of which I am indebted to Mr. F. Spry, of the National Museum : — 



Coleoptera. — Lucanidae ; Lissotits fiircicornis, Westw. Scarabaeidae : 

 Heteronyx, sp. ; Cacochroa gymnopleiira. Buprestidaj : Stigmodcya kerre- 

 mansi, S. plagiata, S. assimilis. Elateridae : Tetralobiis muyrayi, Chrosis 

 illita, Monocrepidius flavipes. Malacodermidae : Metriorrhynchus eremita, 

 M. rufipennis, var. hcemoyrhoidalis, Selenurus tricolor. Mordellidae : 



