12 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



suicide, as sometimes when struck with a stick the reptile 

 turned round and bit at the wounded part and shortly after 

 died, presumably from the effects of its own poison. Many 

 animals, as is well known, bite at the place where they have 

 received a wound, and snakes sometimes may do the same 

 thing, but I do not think that they ever die from the effects 

 of their own poison, as I have on many occasions made snakes 

 bite each other, but in no case has death followed. I remember 

 a large Tiger Snake being bitten three times within the space of 

 half an hour by other snakes in the same cage, but it appeared 

 none the worse and lived for more than a year after. 



The larger varieties of the lizard, such as the Gould's Monitor 

 ( Vara uus gouldii), the Lace Lizard ( Varanus varius), the Great 

 Cyclodus, ( Cyclodus gigas ), and the Bearded Lizard ( Amphibolurus 

 barbatus), do not seem to suffer much from snake-bite, as I have 

 made Tiger Snakes bite specimens of each of those mentioned, 

 but no ill effects ever followed. We know that the smaller varieties 

 of lizards form one of the principal items of food, to the Copper- 

 head Snake especially. 



The Singular Behaviour of a Parrakeet. — Some eight or 

 nine months ago I purchased a parrakeet from an itinerant bird 

 seller. It seemed to be a young bird, but was very shy, and after 

 having it for about six months it did not seem a bit more at home 

 than when first purchased. About two months ago I omitted 

 properly to fasten the cage and it escaped. At first it did not go 

 far away, but for several days stayed about in some fruit trees in 

 an adjoining garden, occasionally coming down into our yard to 

 feed on oats and maize I had put down for it. I did not try to 

 catch it, as I hardly thought it worth the trouble of feeding. 

 After staying about for a couple of weeks it went away for a few 

 days, and then for a longer period, and last week it came back to 

 its usual place after an absence of about a month, and remained 

 for a few hours, since which time we have not seen it. My object 

 in mentioning this, to me, singular proceeding on the part of a 

 bird is to inquire whether any other member has had a similar 

 experience. — F. G. A. Barnard, Kew. 



Tapilio erectheus, caught for the first time in Victoria, was 

 exhibited at the April meeting of the Field Club by Mr. George 

 Lyell, jun. The specimen (a battered one) was taken on the 

 evening of nth February, in the Dandenong Ranges, and had 

 apparently been driven over from New South Wales by stormy 

 weather. 



