THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 21 



of SO extraordinarily wide an angle that we came to think it could 

 take in objects behind the camera. Dr. Dendy's was a very con- 

 venient travelling stereoscopic camera. The former used Ilford dry 

 plates, Carbutt films, and stripping films, and the latter Fry's 

 dry plates. Mr, Howitt took what Dr. Dendy calls a diabolical 

 invention known as a changing bag, and which he guarantees to 

 produce more blasphemy in a given time than any other piece of 

 scientific apparatus yet invented. The bag is made of two thick- 

 nesses of red cloth, and has three openings or sleeves, a single one 

 at one end, and a pair at one side. In through the single opening 

 are put the dark slides (containing the plates to be changed) and 

 the box of fresh slides. Then the operator's hands are thrust 

 into the two sleeves at the side, which clasp the wrists tightly by 

 means of an elastic band, and there he sits on the ground, before 

 beaming spectators, in the roasting sun maybe, or, worse, in the 

 full smoke of the camp-fire, both hands tied up in an irritating red 

 bag, while he fumbles about for an indefinite period, trying in vain 

 to make the plates go into their proper places without getting 

 confused, while the perspiration streams from his face, and his 

 utterances are frequent, brief, and emphatic. 



Our collecting apparatus was varied, consisting of a double- 

 barrelled breech-loader and ammunition, fishing-rod and tackle, 

 bird-skinning apparatus (scalpels, scissors, forceps, cotton-wool, 

 arsenical soap, and fuller's earth), a few Mason's jars of two sizes, 

 some containing methylated spirit, others spirit and a number (the 

 large jars will hold about 50) of i-ounce corked pill bottles containing 

 spirit, and prevented from shaking overmuch by interposed cotton- 

 wool, and a few small tin boxes for Planarians, &c. We also took 

 corrosive sublimate and rectified and absolute alcohol, but they 

 were not required. Our travelling was rather too rapid to make 

 the gun of much use. Dr. Dendy shot a few birds and the 

 river lizards, and later on some ducks; but there was not 

 much encouragement to shoot birds which there was no time to 

 skin while good. The fishing-rod was a particular nuisance to 

 carry, as were the camera legs, and a sapling would have served 

 our purpose just as well as the rod. As it was, the gun got rusty 

 and the rod was smashed. Mr. Lucas took a press for plants 

 which has now been a good many trips in the bush. Mr. Howitt's 

 compass, aneroid, and geological hammer completed our scientific 

 equipment. 



But we have not yet started on our expedition, having been 

 waiting for our leader at Heyfield. He arrived about 11 p.m., and 

 after supper we turned in. Next morning our work began in earnest. 



24TH December (Christmas Eve). — We got up about 4.30 a.m., 

 packed the horses, had breakfast, and rode away from Heyfield 

 at 8 a.m. Our cavalcade consisted of our three selves on our 

 respective horses, the boy Alfred (who was engaged as a kind of 



