192 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST, 



years it had been reported as being seen occasionally, but no one 

 had apparently, so far, had the courage to attempt its destruction, 

 or still less its capture. So soon as we emerged from the Gap, 

 and were well on the track, there were plentiful signs of snakes 

 and lizards, but not one of either of these reptiles was seen. 

 Lepidoptera were more numerous than at any time during our 

 trip, hundreds of H. merope, P. kershawi, and X. klugii, and two 

 species of Skippers — genus Hesperilla — being seen ; but as we 

 were travelling rather quickly, we could not devote much time to 

 securing specimens. Rested and lunched at Mopilly, to whose 

 host we were indebted for a liberal supply of that very necessary 

 liquid, pure water ; and then on to Stawell, which we reached 

 about 6 o'clock. After a refreshing bath we had a hearty dinner, 

 of which not the least enjoyable portion was the potatoes, which 

 we had not tasted for a fortnight. When bed-time arrived, we 

 were not long before we were sound asleep, for which we were 

 prepared by our long, dusty walk of some 1 8 or 20 miles. 



Saturday morning, 5th December, we saw the last of 

 Stawell; but before leaving we called at the Town Hall and 

 thanked the Town Clerk and Mr. Henderson, on behalf of 

 the Club, for having granted the use of the Borough Hut. 

 The train left shortly after 11, and we reached Melbourne about 

 half-past 8. 



Summed up, we may say that if our excursion, from a collector's 

 point of view, was not an unqualified success, it was certainly a 

 most pleasurable one. Fine weather was experienced during the 

 whole time, and it was not the fault of the members of the party 

 that better results were not obtained. We are inclined to think 

 that to the dry winter just passed, and the late spring, is to be 

 attributed the scarcity of specimens. This remark does not so 

 much apply to botany as to other branches of natural history, for 

 the botanists were far and away the most successful, as well as 

 certainly the most indefatigable, and as a result a really good 

 collection of plants of the district was obtained. In bird life 

 there was little observable that is not so elsewhere nearer 

 Melbourne ; neither was there any great variety of snakes or 

 lizards, and to the collectors of these, as also to the entomologist, 

 the excursion was especially disappointing. From the well- 

 known extensive variety of flowering shrubs in the Grampians, 

 coupled with the fact that several are peculiar to the district, it 

 was fully expected that we would secure at least a few clearly 

 representative Lepidoptera or Coleoptera, but not a specimen of 

 either family was seen that is not common in and around Mel- 

 bourne. Whether another year at same season might prove 

 more productive is matter of speculation. Some of us favour 

 the belief that it would, and we therefore hope our experience 

 will not deter other members from arranging a second trip, when 



