SNAKES AND REPTILES. 179 



into the forests, and there is now plenty of honey to be 

 found in the old hollow gum trees. These forests abound 

 in beetles, of various species and colours ; and I have no 

 doubt a man might soon get a fine collection of the 

 coleoptera, by poking about the old rotten trees and dead 

 wood which strew the ground, 



I have often regretted that I knew nothing of botany. 

 Although the wild-flowers here are not so large and 

 gaudy as we generally see them in a southern land, it is 

 when collected in a nosegay that their beauties strike 

 the eye ; and it is only then that we can form any idea 

 of the delicate and varied tints of the little wild flowers 

 which we pass by unheeded when growing on the plains 

 and in the forests here. Some of the heaths and grasses 

 are very fine ; but there is a great absence of large wild- 

 flowers in Australia. 



Of course, such a country as Australia must present 

 a wide field to the naturalist, let his particular taste be 

 ■what it may ; and the further we go back from the 

 peopled districts, the more rare and, as yet, undis- 

 covered species, especially of plants and insects, will 

 be brought to light. These two branches of the natural 

 history of such a country as this, must be only in their 

 infancy ; and it was always a matter of surprise to me 

 that so much is already known of the general Fauna of 

 this land ; and I cannot close my slight sketch of the 

 ornithology of this country, without paying a compli- 

 ment to the perseverance and research of Mr. Gould, 

 whose splendid work, which is, unfortunately, beyond 

 N 2 



