THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 185 



large dark-brown moth, well known to almost every householder, 

 and familiarly known as the Old Lady, its scientific name being 

 Dasypodia. Thinking other species of Lepidoptera might be 

 secured we hung up outside a large sheet taken with us for this 

 purpose, and a brilliant lamp, but not a single thing was attracted 

 by it- — probably the evening was too cold — and after patiently 

 watching for two hours the experiment was given up ; sugaring 

 was also tried, with a like unsatisfactory result. 



Wednesday, 25TH November. — Extremely hot, hence it was 

 perhaps fortunate we had decided to devote this day to partly 

 collecting in vicinity of camp and partly to packing ready for 

 removal to higher up the Gap. In the early morning a party was 

 out with guns, but had very little sport, the best thing secured 

 being a pair of Bronze Cuckoos (Chalcites j^lagosus). They saw 

 a few kangaroos, but they were too distant to offer any chance of 

 shooting with effect. In the swamp near camp a specimen of the 

 pretty little Emu Wren (Stipittcrus malachurus) was shot, as was 

 also one of the Spotted Pardalotes. Again tried Leptospermum 

 on creek for insects, but found it not any better than on previous 

 occasions, the only beetle worth noting being a Longicorn, 

 Distichocera (var.) Started a Bronzewing Pigeon (Phaps chal- 

 coptera), also a rabbit, of which latter animal several were seen 

 about the camp, but they do not appear to be very plentiful. 

 Whilst working round the swamp a little excitement occurred on 

 the capture of a Ring-tailed Opossum, which we were informed 

 had its nest in a sapling. The nest being found, the delicate 

 question arose as to how best to secure the animal, which was 

 settled by its making tracks to the adjacent sapling, from which 

 it was quickly dislodged, only to make to the next, and so on for 

 several, with all the party scrambling after it as rapidly as 

 possible, until in one final rush, all tumbling over one another, 

 the game was bagged, and eventually brought safely to Melbourne. 

 Under the bark of some red gum trees a few specimens of the 

 following beetles were taken, viz. : — Coptocercus rubripes, JEpithora 

 dorsalis, Phoracantha recurva, Pylus fatuus, Hapatesus hirtus, 

 the last being very plentiful, as were also several of the common 

 Elaters. Although not hitherto mentioned, spiders had not been 

 neglected, as the member who had charge of this branch secured 

 during the trip fully 70 species, representing 25 genera, including 

 Epeira, Tetragnatha, Ariamnes, Theridium, Mygale, &c. 



Thursday, 26th November. — Had breakfast at 7.30 which 

 included some Blackfish and Trout caught the previous evening 

 in Fyans Creek. Fred was up very early to try his hand with the 

 gun, but met with no sport ; indeed, it seemed as if the longer we 

 stayed the scarcer it became — not, certainly, from our destructive- 

 ness. All he saw was one rabbit, and not a sign of kangaroo or 

 wallaby. Started for second camp, the Borough Hut, previously 



