80 THE VICTORIAN NATURALlSf. 



butterfly or moth, and wasps and hornets were also conspicuous 

 by their almost entire absence. Far better results awaited us in 

 our search under the bark of the larger trees, where we secured 

 numbers of various families of beetles, notably, two specimens — 

 broken unfortunately — of Enneaphylliis aneipennis. We suppose 

 all field naturalists have experienced the delightful sensation of 

 suddenly and unexpectedly coming across a rare specimen, and 

 such a sensation is ours as we perceive on a thistle — a plant for 

 which we shall hereafter entertain a better regard — a fine pair of 

 Phasma, which we lose no time in securing. Have any of our 

 members present ever observed the strange position assumed by 

 this insect when resting ? Although possessing six legs, the two 

 front ones are placed straight out alongside the head, giving the 

 insect a much longer appearance than really belongs to it. We 

 have set the female — which is very much larger than the male — 

 in as nearly as possible the position we found it, with the excep- 

 tion of the wings, which we have extended, so that you may have 

 an opportunity of belter understanding what we have endeavoured 

 to explain. For protection from capture they rely a good deal 

 upon remaining absolutely without motion, and consequently our 

 pair did not attempt to move or escape until we had them in our 

 hands, when they quickly showed they possessed life, but, need- 

 less to say, their fate was soon sealed. The capture of this insect 

 resulted in our receiving a shaking to the belief we have hitherto 

 had in the value of local names for objects of natural history. 

 In the course of the evening whilst yarning — as is our usual wont 

 — with the landlord and those residents and visitors who may be 

 about the house, the subject gradually worked round to insects, 

 the company having by this time learned something of who and 

 what we were, when the landlord having had the Phasma described 

 to him, stated that he had shortly before taken one himself, 

 and as neither he nor any of the residents knew what it was, 

 they had by common consent called it a " Yahoon." Now, much 

 as local names may be considered useful, we could not realize to 

 ourselves our esteemed and learned Baron von Mueller allowing 

 himself to use so vulgar and senseless a name as Yahoon in 

 connection with a plant, for, of course, the name would be just 

 as applicable, or rather inapplicable, to a plant as to an insect. 

 Close by the spot where we secured our Phasma we were also 

 fortunate enough to obtain a fine specimen of the beautiful 

 longicorn beetle Pytheus pulcherrimus^ and, at the foot of a large 

 tree near at hand, was a clean and perfect skeleton of a snake ; 

 but, having no appliances for carrying it, we were compelled to 

 leave it behind us. 



Next morning, Saturday, opened close and warm ; but as the 

 country air put new life into us we determined to make the 

 attempt to reach South Mirboo, distant about ten miles. Owing, 



