16 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



game, when, to his great astonishment, his hand was within a few 

 inches of a small Copperhead Snake, who had taken up his 

 quarters under the post. To pin the head of the snake to the 

 ground by means of an umbrella, was the work of a moment, 

 although, the ground being of soft sand, the "job " had to be 

 performed carefully, as the snake, although only about 2 ft. in 

 length, was evidently not in a particularly amiable mood ; and 

 as Mr. M'Alpine was anxious of securing the specimen alive, 

 the snake was seized by the nape of the neck (after the method 

 adopted by Mr. Le Souef), and safely bagged alive for future 

 observation. 



It may be mentioned that both snakes taken were known as 

 the Copperheads (Hoplocephalns superbns). It was near to this 

 spot that one of the party (a student from the Pharmacy 

 College) discovered a very singular plant, which the Baron von 

 Mueller says is a monstrous growth of some species of orchid, but 

 as yet he (the Baron) has not been able to satisfy himself of its 

 exact specific position, and would be glad to receive further 

 specimens for scientific examination. 



There were a few birds in the neigbourhood such as the 

 Harmonious Thrush, Wattle Bird, Brown Hawk, Magpie, Robin, 

 &c. ; but our sportsman, not being a Cockney one, had no desire 

 to shoot all and sundry, so merely contents himself with shooting 

 a few of the smaller birds for his collection. 



Insects were of course scarce, and with the exception of a few 

 Trox, Staphylinidse, Carabs, a spider or two, including the 

 Victorian Katipo {Lathodectus see/to), and one or two kinds of 

 Hesperidae and small moths, very few were seen, the reason 

 being, as in the case of plants — that it was too early for insect 

 life. 



The very curious fern, Schizcea bifida, is common here, and 

 several specimens were collected. 



With the collecting done, the exchange of ideas, and the " bush 

 lectures " in the field, a very pleasant, and we hope instructive, 

 afternoon was spent. Melbourne was reached shortly after dark. 



THE RESERVATION OF WILSON'S PROMONTORY. 



The proposal that Wilson's Promontory should be reserved as a 

 site for a national park for Victoria, principally with the view of 

 preserving the native fauna and flora, was first made by Mr. J. B. 

 Gregory, LL.M., at a meeting of the Field Naturalists' Club of 

 Victoria, and by Mr. A. H. S. Lucas before the Royal Society, 

 some two years ago ; and the project being supported by 

 the Royal Society, the Geographical Society, and the Artists' 

 Society, a joint deputation from the different societies waited on 

 the Minister of Lands and urged the adoption of their scheme. 



