THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 169 



Entomology. — Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.G.S., reports that insects 

 were conspicuous by their absence, and those seen were mostly of 

 the common kinds. However, the following are perhaps worth 

 mentioning : — Coleoptera — Rhyssonotus jugularis (one specimen 

 taken) and Schizorrhina christyi (several specimens taken, many 

 others seen flying swiftly in the sunshine). Lepidoptera — 

 Rhopalocera : Heleronymjjha merope, Epinephile abeona (several 

 good specimens taken), Pyrameis kershawi, Xenica achanta, 

 Xenica klugii (very plentiful), Lyccena labradus, Lucia lucanus 

 (one specimen), Resperilla donnysa, H. covipacla, and H. eclipsis. 

 Heterocera : Agarista lewini (common), Hydriomena suhochraria, 

 H. anthracinta, H. strumosata, Xanthorhoe subidaria, Dichromodes 

 stilbiata, Talis pleniferellus, Scoparia exhibitalis, Dipterina rupi- 

 Golana,'GaGcecia pyrosemana, G. polygraphana, and Capua obfusca- 

 tana. 



Pond Life. — Mr. J. Shephard reports that, as was anticipated, 

 the mountain streams proved sparsely inhabited with rotifers and 

 Entomostraca. The various formed channels are kept free from 

 accumulations of vegetable matter, and the natural watercourses 

 leading into them also appear to receive attention in this respect. 

 Attention was, however, directed to damp places, and with the 

 assistance of Mr. H. T. Tisdall an attempt was made to find 

 plants of the order Jungermanniacege, which in Europe are the 

 host of a parasitic rotifer of the genus Callidina. This, however, 

 proved a disappointment, as the plants of that order found did 

 not reveal the expected guest, but the search was not unprofitable, 

 for several specimens of small Crustacea were secured from 

 among the spongy mass of lower plant life growing on the hill- 

 side, at the source of a spring, which is evidently permanent, as 

 it is utilized for supplying the houses with water. Mr. O. A. 

 Sayce has kindly examined these forme, and says : — " With refer- 

 ence to the two crustaceans collected at Wallaby Creek, one is 

 an Amphipod, and is evidently an undescribed species ; the other 

 is an Isopod, of particular interest as being the first specimen 

 from Victoria of the archaic genus Phreatoicus of Chilton. Three 

 species are so far known, two of which are blind inhabitants of 

 subterranean waters in New Zealand ; the third, P. australis, has 

 been found on the summits of Mt. Kosciusko (Chilton) and 

 Mt. Wellington, Tasmania (Thomson). The present specimen is 

 very like P. australis in form, but differs slightly in the terminal 

 segment and its appendages, also in the mouth parts. It is 

 undoubtedly a new species, and I shall take an early opportunity 

 of describing it." Two species of rotifera of the genera Melopidia 

 and Diglena were also obtained in the same locality. On the 

 return journey some collecting was done where Jack's Creek 

 empties itself into the Toorourrong Reservoir, where the condi- 

 tions were more favourable to minute aquatic plant life. One 



