Visit to the Diggings. 



5903 



which brought us all very low, but from which we eventually reco- 

 vered. 



Whilst staying here I contrived, with the aid of a staff, to hobble 

 from tree to tree, and amused myself with observing the curious Cole- 

 optera which the sun, when it shone, tempted from their winter 

 hiding-places. One of these, of the genus Amarygmus, one of the 

 Heteromera, with brilliant metallic shades of green and purple, was 

 peculiarly beautiful : the beetles of this genus I afterwards found 

 everywhere; they are common all the year round. 



We were not long in Australia without finding that the climate was 

 very peculiar, days of soaking rain being followed by frosty nights, 

 which often cover the pools with ice half an inch thick. Three hours 

 after sunrise all this would be melted, and the temperature would be- 

 come so warm that exercise would produce a profuse perspiration. In 

 the morning I used continually to start up, from the wet or hoar- 

 frosted grass, lepidopterous insects, particularly beautifully marked 

 Geometrse, and I was both pleased and amused to observe how much 

 the colours and markings of some of them resembled those of our 

 English ones. A small blue Polyommatus, which had survived the 

 winter, was also plentiful. Birds were most abundant, although 

 thousands of gold diggers had passed and repassed the place where 

 I was staying : they were mostly of the parrot tribe, and were remark- 

 ably tame ; numbers of magpies and laughing jackasses would come 

 within thirty yards of me, and the beautiful satin bird would actually 

 come into the hut and pick up its food while I was sitting by the fire : 

 this occurred several times, and on one occasion two of them came in 

 company. I may here make a general remark, that the birds and 

 animals of Australia appear much more readily tamed and domesti- 

 cated than with us, being readily reconciled to captivity, and evincing 

 such attachment to man as really to induce the conclusion that they 

 prefer an artificial to a natural state. I saw many cockatoos shot, 

 and always regretted to see such lovely birds destroyed for so little 

 purpose : it must, however, be said that they are excellent eating. 



I had an opportunity of examining a laughing jackass, holding it 

 in my hand and observing its peculiarities : it lives on reptiles, and 

 nothing could be better adapted for this kind of life ; it has scarcely 

 any flesh, its body being remarkably light, and so thickly covered 

 with feathers that it seems almost all feathers ; there seems nothing 

 about it that a reptile could bite ; its beak is very large, pointed, and 

 enormously strong, and with this it will seize a large snake, and, re- 

 gardless of its writhings and attempts to bite, will rise high in the air. 



