^"^^-J BicsT, To the Alps for Coleoptera. 89 



to the ton, wliicli is fairly good. The mine is situated some 

 distance up the hills, and the country round about is almost 

 in its natural state, except that many big trees have been cut 

 down for mining purposes. Round about the mine we noticed 

 three Cetonids tlyiug — Schizorhina giilosa, S. phillipsi, and S. 

 iioysdlis- -but so quick was their flight tliat our efforts resulted in 

 the capture of only (^ne of the last-named. 



Harri(;tville, \mtil comparatively recently, boasted three 

 hotels, but two luive closed their doors. However, we have 

 pleasure in stating that the remaining one is well conducted, 

 and offers good inducement to visitors to prolong their stay. 



We put in a day at Bright, the railway' terminus, and this 

 was more than sufficient to satisfy us that our time was and 

 would be wasted if we stayed longer. All along the Ovens 

 River tin; Bursaria was in splendid flower, but in all my long 

 experience I can never recollect an occasion on which there was 

 so little life on it — not even bees or flies w(>re on it : neither 

 was there any life on the acacias or young gums, and it was 

 a feeling of relief to us when the evening cam(> and we knew we 

 were leaving for home the following morning. No more Bright 

 for us, but we were certainly favourably impressed with the 

 possibilities of Harrietville, and if we ever n^peat the trip we 

 will assuredly give it anotlur trial. 



Of course, W(^ saw plenty of that noxious and (so far as we 

 know) useless weed, the St. John's Wort. It was well in 

 flower and growing plentifully around the Hospice and the 

 hiUs at Harrietville, and is spreading rapidly. No attempt 

 seems to be made to cope with it, and, to our minds, this and 

 the almost equally objectionable blackberry will in the near 

 future obtain complete control of the district, and thus the 

 one-time very fertile valley of the Ovens will l)ecomc- absolutely 

 valueless for settlement. I'lien, again, there is tin- dredging, 

 which has destroyed thousands of acres of valuabk- land, and 

 it will Uikv many years, if ever, for Nature to recover itself. 

 In places you cannot get near the river for the bramliles, so 

 thick are they ; and it is perhaps within the bounds of possibility 

 tliat they may eventualK' obtain masterv over the St. John's 

 Wort. .About some parts of Bright there is little or none of 

 this weed, notably in and around the raihvaw and it struck 

 us as peculiar that, especially where lliere was an abimdance 

 of couch-grass, it was almost entirel\- absent. Not biMug a 

 scientist, I am reluctant to advance- a theory that some stronger 

 plant may eventually hv found that will kill it out on the lower 

 grounds : but on tlie liills the only prospect is plant suicide. 

 I really !)elieve that in time, perhaps soon, the plant will b<' 

 applied to some good business purpose, for it is a poor plant 

 in<le(;d that does not possess at least one; good (piality. .As to 

 the blackberry, it is an ;d)solute scandal and disgrace to all 



