THE VICTOIilAN NATURALIST. 117 



whether there is an ichneumon found in Victoria which attacks 

 our sphingidre, either in the larva or pupa stages. It will be 

 noticed that some of these pupa appear to be but poorly pro- 

 tected, as many lie on the surface of the ground at the root of 

 the tree or plant on which they feed. Their covering, being 

 sometimes dead leaves and other rubbish held together by a few 

 silken threads, forms but a slight protection against the ovo- 

 positors of ichneumons, since we find hard cocoons, and even 

 those larvse which live in the interior of trees, pierced by these 

 insects, which, by their constant attacks on lepidopterous and 

 other larvae, keep in check what might otherwise become a pest. 



RECOLLECTIONS OF MY RESIDENCE IN NORTH- 

 WEST AUSTRALIA. 



By a Non-Naturalist. 



{^ContiJiued fro7?i Page 104.) 



The country consists for the most part of plains covered with 

 spinifex ( Triodia irritans) and desolate ironstone hills, and is 

 consequently of a most uninteresting character. To most of 

 you spinifex is, I expect, known only by name, but if any of you 

 are desirous of having a little practical experience of what it is 

 like in its native state, let me recommend you to try the north- 

 west plains, and I will guarantee you will soon have had enough 

 of it. I have never yet come across the man who could truth- 

 fully say he liked travelling through spinifex country. Spinifex, 

 at its best — or, I should rather perhaps say its worst, which is 

 generally in the height of summer — is a natural history object 

 to be most carefully avoided. I think there must be several 

 species of this grass, for some are not so high and strong as 

 others, and on the young shoots of these the north-west sheep 

 have learned at certain seasons to exist, a thing they certainly 

 would not have attempted to do if there was anything of a more 

 inviting nature, thus showing what a poor country it is for 

 pastoral purposes. There is also plenty of small scrub, as well 

 as numerous shrubs, and in the river beds large timber; but by 

 the expression river beds you must not understand there are 

 actual rivers, as sometimes for years there will be no water in 

 them except in the deep holes. In these holes there are always 

 plenty of fish, but I do not know the names of any of them. 

 The cajaput, a paper-bark tree, is plentiful, and comes in 

 very useful to the settlers for building and other purposes. Of 

 ferns I have seen but two species, and even of these only a 

 small quantity, one being the maiden-hair fern so common in 

 Victoria. 



Of the animals, birds, reptiles, etc., of the north-west, the 

 second are, of course, the most numerous, but I think they are 

 almost equalled by the reptiles. These abound everywhere, 



