^'°J-1 'Best, To the Alps foy Coleoplera. 87 



like others of the species, in the larger cucalypts. Curculios, 

 especially Am\-cticids, were very scarce, and wo only secured' 

 one of the latter, an Acantholophus, probably A. apicola, a 

 rather rare species, under a stone, and, although we turned 

 over man}- others, we were not fortunate enough to secure a 

 second one. Shaking the acacias, A. penninervis, vAih. which 

 the localitv abounds gave very poor results, there being little 

 hfe of any kind on them, our best captures being three speci- 

 mens of a Symphyletes, of which I had only one in my 

 collection, and this was also taken from off an acacia on the 

 Alps, but not ^4. penninervis. On previous visits the longicorn 

 beetle, Macrones besti, was fairly plentiful, but on this occasion 

 we did not sec a single specimen, nor did we see any signs of 

 it breeding in the acacias, its habitat. We secured a few larvae 

 of a longicorn in the roots of the acacias, but we think if they 

 run their course they will prove to be only the common 

 Uracanihus trian\;^ularis, and, if so, they have adopted a different 

 method to what they do around Melbourne, where they favour 

 the dead l)ranches of A. pycnantha and A. mollissima. In the 

 gullies, under logs (of which there were plenty), we secured a 

 fair number of carabs, but, whilst a few were rather rare, none 

 was new to us. Amongst others were Notonomus gippslandicus 

 and A^. gippsiensis. Of other families we took Adeliiim 

 siibdipressitm, Apasis, var. howitti, A. hiplegcnoides, Lepispeliis 

 stygraniis, and Coripera, sp., also two specimens of Rhyssonotus 

 paralleliis. 



Ixpidoptera (Imtterflies and moths) were singularly scarce, 

 and, so far as regards the former, were in marked contrast to 

 previous experiences on the Alps, when they — especially the 

 common white, Picris teutonia — were then to be seen in 

 thousands, literally thousands, for in walking along the Omeo 

 road you could not avoid treading on them at every step ; they 

 wore ;dl flying northwards. 



To hii'ds we did not pay nuicli attention, l)ut in any case 

 not many were; to be sct-ii. \\\ the gullies we expected to see 

 or liear the Lyre-bird, but our luck was out, and our hopes 

 were not gratified. 



Of reptiles all we saw was a few lizards ; of snakes we did 

 not see one In the valley of the Dargo River, where they were 

 supposed to be numerous, and where we worked through the 

 thick scrub and grass, which would afford plenty of shelter, we 

 neither saw nor heard any. Possibly the noise we made 

 disturlied them, and they slid silently away. One thing is 

 certain : we could have Ix'cn the only disturbers, for during 

 our five; days, except on the Omeo road, we never saw a human 

 being or an animal. This will give you some idea of h(nv little 

 the place is fre(pu'nte'd l)y visitors. ^lay it long remain so ! 



