April, 1907.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 247 



side the stream, and at a sharp turn we cross another fine creek, 

 known as M'Mahon's. The township here, if one may make use 

 of the term for a combined hotel, post-office, and store, with a 

 blacksmith's shop across the road, is the highest or last on the 

 Yarra, and is about 60 miles from Melbourne. A mining track 

 runs along a range to the south-east to the head of the Latrobe, 

 some £2 or 14 miles distant. Again bursaria bushes are in 

 evidence, and afford more specimens for our collecting bottle. 



For the next two miles or so the road runs close to the river ; 

 in many places jutting spurs have had to be cut away to make 

 room for it. The handsome orchid, Dipodium punctatum, 

 known in some parts as the Native Hyacinth, is noted in several 

 places on the hillsides, together with the beautiful blue lobelia, 

 L. simplicicaulis. The river, which is fringed with a dense growth 

 of wattles, cassinia, kunzea, prostanthera, bursaria, &c., only the 

 two last-named being in bloom, affords many delightful vistas 

 where a photographer would be in his element. 



Presently Reefton, or rather what was Reefton, is reached. 

 This was a busy place years ago, when the small flat along the 

 river bank was being turned over for gold, but its glory has 

 departed, and only one or two houses remain, A bridge here 

 crosses the stream, and a notice board gives the distance to the 

 old Yarra track as twelve miles, but there is not much evidence 

 of its use during recent years. We camp here for lunch, and, 

 while this is being prepared, the bursaria bushes, which are quite 

 a picture, are examined, and found to be literally swarming with 

 beetles and other insects. As usual the little brown scarabid, 

 Heteronyx piceus, is in countless numbers. Three species of 

 Cetonidse are secured — viz., Clithria eucneniis, Burm., Cacochroa 

 gymnopleura, Fisch., and Poly stigma ( Schizorhina) punctata, 

 Don. — but, curiously enough, the horseshoe-marked species, 

 Eupoecila [Schizorhina) australasice is entirely absent. The 

 singular wasp-like longicorn, Hesthesis ploratus, is rather plentiful. 

 A good variety of buprestids are taken, among them Stigmodera 

 skusii, S. andersoni, S. bremei. Ichneumons, dipterous flies, &c., 

 are fairly numerous, and some specimens of a small but striking 

 orange and black day-flying moth, Syntoniis magistri, are secured. 

 Just as we are leaving a Black Snake puts in an appearance, and 

 is promptly despatched. Our bathers find the current in the 

 stream so strong here that they can only cross it diagonally. 



Our road now turns more easterly, and runs through un- 

 interesting country, swampy in winter, as evidenced by the growth 

 of Melaleuca squarrosa. For the next four miles there are no 

 signs of settlement. An extensive tract of heathy country is 

 passed, and Epacris imp>ressa of various shades is still in bloom. 

 Earlier in the season this part would doubtless be gay with 

 flowers, for acacias of various species, Leptospermum scoparium, 



