184 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



some fine specimens of the beautiful fern OsmurCda (late Todea) 

 barbara, also of Gleichenia circinata, G.Jlabellata, and G. dicarpa. 

 Lizards, principally Hinulia whiteii and H. quoyii were plentiful, 

 but not so snakes, as only two were seen, one being a Copper- 

 head {Hoplocephalus superbus) and the other a brown {Diemenia 

 superciliosa). Of other lizards, Liolepisma guichenoti was 

 plentiful, being the most common one seen on the lower ground 

 during the whole trip, whilst H. whiteii was most numerous on the 

 hills, and we also secured specimens of the more rare Tropido- 

 lepisma albonotata. The birds shot included the Striated 

 Pardalote {P. ornaius), and Lunulated Honey-eater (Melithreptus 

 lunulatus). On our return to camp we found one of the Daltons 

 had killed a fine Black Snake (Pseudechys porphyriacus) nearly 

 four feet long, which was duly bottled ; and in the evening a large 

 Podargus {P. strigoides) was shot and carefully skinned. 



Tuesday, 24TH November. — Exceedingly warm. Arranged to 

 go to Turret Falls, some five or six miles up Stony Creek, 

 with two of the Daltons as guides. On the road again tried 

 Leptospermum for insects, and met with slightly better success, 

 the best captures being two Longicorn beetles — one being a rare 

 specimen of Pseudocej)halus, and the other Trichomesia newmani. 

 The plants noted for the first time since our arrival were Styphelia 

 sonderi, Dodoncea viscosa, Sccevola cemula, Veronica derwentia, 

 LhotzJcya genetylloides, Sphcerolobium vimineum, Drosera binata, 

 Acacia retinoides, and Boronia jjolygalifolia. After lunching at the 

 Falls, which have a drop of some fifty feet, some of the party, in 

 company with the elder Dalton, struck off for Mt. Difficult, from 

 whence they returned, after a hard climb, at about 7 o'clock. 

 On the summit they had a good view of the surrounding country, 

 including the Wartook Reservoir, Mt. Arapiles, Natimuk, &c. 

 Near the summit one of our party succeeded in bringing down a 

 fine specimen of the Black Cockatoo. Of plants in flower near 

 the top were specially noted Coprosma hirtella, Styphelia pinnata, 

 and Brachyloma daphnoides. 



Our attention was drawn to the fact of nearly all the wattles 

 {Acacia decurrens) in the Gap presenting a dying appearance, 

 this being the work of the larvae of a small greenish-coloured 

 Chrysomela beetle of the genus Paropsis. None of the larvae 

 were now observable, so it is to be presumed the trees will soon 

 begin to show signs of fresh foliage. In connection with wattles, 

 we may mention that up the range to the summit nearly all had 

 been stripped for their bark, and we were informed that the 

 strippers' method of coltecting was not to carry the bark but to 

 tie it in bundles and roll them down, with the result that they 

 frequently found their way into the numerous gullies and there 

 remained undiscovered. 



Every evening the camp has been swarming with the common 



