92 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



dray in a similar predicament ; but here the mishap had only just 

 occurred as we arrived upon the scene, and the team of sixteen 

 bullocks were doing their best to retrieve it. Being in a con- 

 templative frame of mind, we sat ourselves down on a log in close 

 proximity, to watch the process of extrication ; and if we did for 

 a few minutes forget that the object for which we had come out 

 was the collection of natural history specimens, our forgetfulness 

 was, we think, amply rewarded by the additions we made to our 

 etymological — which, after all, is a very similarly sounding word 

 to entomological — collection. It is remarkable what powers of 

 invention, in the way of powerful words, a good bullock driver 

 possesses, and in the present instance he was an undoubted genius, 

 his genius being rewarded by his team, after several ineffectual 

 attempts, getting their load out of their very difficult position. 



It was during the fifteen minutes or so spent in watching this 

 interesting performance that our feelings were worked into a state 

 which almost tempted us to try and rival our bullock-driving 

 friend, the cause thereof being the arrival of a wretch — we were 

 and are still too disgusted to call him a man — with two beautiful 

 Lyre-birds' tails, which it was but too apparent had only been but 

 very recently obtained, say within two or three days. We, as 

 mildly as our feelings would allow us, expressed our disgust at his 

 destroying these interesting birds, which should rather claim his 

 and all other selectors' protection, further informing him that he 

 was breaking the law by so doing, and that we would do our 

 utmost to have him punished. We think we must have frightened 

 him ; at all events, he did not venture into the township with the 

 tails, as had evidently been his intention, for, upon returning 

 thereto, we interviewed the local policeman, who promised to do 

 what he could to ascertain who the man was, but up to the time 

 of our leaving he had not succeeded. The representative of the 

 law being very obliging, and evidently desirous of assisting our 

 efforts, we conversed with him upon the wholesale destruction of 

 Lyre birds that was being carried on in all their yearly decreasing 

 habitats, when he stated that the great difficulty he had to contend 

 with was in obtaining evidence of the actual destruction, the mere 

 possession of the tails not being sufficient to procure a conviction. 

 Thereupon, we pointed out that although this might be so, still if 

 he instituted even an unsuccessful prosecution it would of itself 

 be strong evidence of his energy in the matter, and would, doubt- 

 less, deter many from again further pursuing the destruction of 

 this the representative bird of Victoria. Further, we held out as 

 an inducement to him to try and procure a conviction, a promise 

 that he would receive the thanks of that important body, " The 

 Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria" — a promise we have no doubt 

 the Club will gladly endorse and fulfill. 



The greater portion of this road — that is, so far as we went, 



