20 O'Donohue, Wanderings on the Murray Flood-Plain, [voi'xxxii 



edge. The introduced tobacco flourishes in places, and, from 

 the appearance of many upright, decayed stems of the plant 

 far out in the water, seems to have had a more extensive range 

 on the lake bed than at present. The only other plant noted 

 on the shores was the Small Knotweed, Polygonum plebejum. 

 This forms, in favourable situations, a dense sward, which is 

 kept closely cropped by the cattle, sheep, and emus. 



When returning to our camp a large Lace Lizard was seen to 

 quit the shelter of the timber on the northern shore and to 

 proceed in a somewhat furtive manner towards the water. 

 Before it reached its objective, however, it was espied by several 

 Grallinas and Minahs, which at once attacked it. Swelling 

 itself up to nearly twice its normal dimensions, and menacing 

 its assailants with its snout, the lizard persisted, for a little 

 time, to pursue its course, but was eventually obliged to turn 

 tail and skurry towards the timber, where in a few moments 

 it was a dozen feet above the ground on the side of a large 

 Red Gum tree. Our hurried approach with a camera induced 

 a further increase of elevation, and finally a leisurely retire- 

 ment into a hollow spout. Early the following morning the 

 loud cries and the erratic flight of a Mallee Parrakeet, Bamardius 

 barnardi, which had a nest in a hole situated in the lowest fork 

 of the gum ascended by the lizard, led us to infer that our 

 friend had discovered the whereabouts of the nest and was 

 regaling itself on the contents. 



[To be continued.) 



Blackfish. — Anglers should note that it is now illegal to 

 capture Blackfish under 8| inches in length. The minimum 

 length for Murra\ Cod has been fixed at 15 inches. 



Mvna and MOTH. — I was much amused the other day in 

 watching the efforts of an Indian Nfyna to catch a crambite 

 moth Oil the wing. It proved how effective was the short. 

 jerky flight of the moth in enabling the insect to bailie the 

 pursuit ot a powerful and mobile bird like the Myna. The 

 din < t and resilient or bouncing-rubber-ball type oi progression 

 was, however, unequal to the short, W-like movements ol its 

 intended prey, and alter several futile attempts the bird 

 dropped the pursuit. This group of moths, the Crambinae, 

 is doubly protected, £01 these inserts closely resemble the 

 glumes oi grasses when at resl on the green or brown tufts, 

 mimicry of insects in particulai is 50 marked a feature as 

 to suggesl thai few other animal groups have to face so many 

 mobile and fa I dei ies, thus accounting for this domin- 



ant character being developed to so remarkable a degree. — 



F. I II \I\MAN. 



