2oS Excursion to Baw Baw. [v'Jr'xxx 



Mordella dumhrclli. Lagriidse : Lagria grandis. Tenebrionidae : Chal- 

 copterus Icsvicollis, A pasts howittii, Adelium tenebrioides, Menephilus 

 corvinus. Cistelidae : Tanychilus striatus. Curculionidse : Platyporoptcrus 

 porrigineus, Gonipterus gibherus, Aterpus tuberculatus, Chrysolophus 

 spectabilis. Cerambycida? : Callidopsis pvcBcox, Anastetha varipila, 

 Mccynopus scmivitreus, Phacodcs obscurus, Zygocera ccenosa. Orthoptera : 

 Trigoniza maculata, Coryphistes, sp. Homoptera : Melampsalta ab- 

 dominalis. Diptera : Clytocosmus helmsi. Dermaptera : Nesogaster 

 ruficeps. — C". French, jun. 



Lepidoptera. — On the Baw Baw plateau specimens of the following 

 butterflies were taken ; — Papilio macleayanus, Leach. Xenica corrccB, 

 Olliff {20 males, 7 females), A', kershawii, Misk., Hetcronympha solandcri, 

 Waterhouse. A fair number of small moths were taken, including some 

 Hydriomena, but they have not yet been identified. — E. O. Armytage. 



AguATic Zoology, &c. — It was expected that the high plateau would 

 have had a distinctive fauna, but, with the exception of Phreatoicus 

 australis and one or two small copepods not yet identified, the whole 

 of the specimens could be collected within a few miles of Melbourne. 

 The water-pools amongst the sphagnum were as clear and sparkling as 

 if they had been filtered, but when portions of the sphagnum were 

 examined in water, under the microscope, numerous forms of protozoa, 

 rotifera, ostracoda, and copepoda were revealed. The isopod, Phreatoicus 

 australis, Chilton, was fairly numerous in the sphagnum and in the mud 

 under the stones in the bed of Talbot Creek. Attached to the under 

 sides of stones, then quite dry, were numerous tubes composed of grains 

 of sand cemented together, containing fat white grubs, resembling 

 caddis larva;. The tubes were 5 to 6 mm. in diameter, and about 

 20 mm. in length, and, being attached by one end to the stones, hung 

 like stalactites. These were new to me, and have not yet been identified. 

 Crawling about on the muddy bottom of the creek where a little water 

 still remained were many caddis larva; ; these had constructed their 

 " cases " of shining flakes of mica, which sparkled in the sun like gems 

 as the larva; moved about. Numerous grooved tracks were noticed on 

 the still damp mud of the creek-bed, which were found to liave l:)een 

 made by a small bivalved mollusc of the genus Pisidium. Several 

 dipterous insects were taken as they skimmed the surface of the water, 

 in which, no doubt, the early part of their existence had been spent. 

 In several places when the herbage fringing the creek was disturbed 

 countless thousands of a very small dipterous fly would be dislodged, 

 and, after rising in the air for a few inches, would at once settle down 

 again. In many pools tadpoles — very dark, almost black, in colour — 

 were plentiful, while a few small frogs were collected under stones. 



At the Tyers River, where we camped for lunch, caddis larva? in their 

 cases of grass stems or a hollow twig were noticed, also the globular or 

 lenticular pupa-cases composed of grains of sand mentioned in the 

 general report. The only other opportunity I had for collecting was 

 at the so-called " Crater Lake," near Parker's Corner. This sheet of 

 shallow water, almost circular in shape, had a fine growth of acjuatic 

 plants, and should prove a good collecting place for the microscopist ; 

 but, as our time was very limited, I could only sample it in one or two 

 places. Mosquito and dragon-fly larvcC were very abundant. Here 

 several species of cyclops, cladocera, and ostracoda were taken, whilst 

 the vegetation sheltered many species of desmids, diatoms, and fresh- 

 water alga;. 



During the excursion diligent search was made for Peri])atus, l)ut 

 without success. Planarians were also scarce, only one being taken, 

 among the luxuriant vegetation on the southern slope of Mount Erica, 

 where also Talitrus sylvaticus was very plentiful. This crustacean, it is 



