TQ 106 THE GEELONG NATURALIST. 
Jan. 11th.—As we come out of the house in the early morning 
"we have a magnifieent view spread before us. The place where we 
stand is at a height of 1200 feet and we lookthrough a gap in the hills, 
which extends right through the ranges so that we can see beyond the 
rapidly diminishing hills, the plains of the Western District stretching 
for miles. Leura, Elephant and Gellibrand are visible in the distance 
on the far horizon. When we see it first the dew is on everything, 
and as the sunlight is reflected from it, it gives the idea of a vast 
‘Sheet of water. After admiring the scene for awhile we start down 
a gully for ferns, and find it even rougher and with denser under- 
growth than the gullies nearer the coast. After securing a few nice 
ferns we wend our way back for breakfast. 
. In the garden we notice a pair of Spinebill Honey-eaters 
(Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris) which are very tame, and which our 
host carefully preserves. About eight o'clock we start on our final 
stage. . 
We pass Dean's Marsh, and after a few hours we reach the 
Barwon, near Winchelsea, where we halt for lunch. As we reach 
‘the plains the white-backed magpie (Gymnorhina leuconota), the 
mudlark (Grallina picata), and the minah (Myzantha garrula), which 
had been almost absent in the ranges, become plentiful; while the 
fantails (Rhipidura albiscapa) and the smaller honeyeaters entirely 
disappear. While the horses are being spelled, Uncle Tom leads some 
-of our party on a search for an alleged fossil bed, of which, however, 
no traces are to be found, and we class it as the fruit of a fertile 
imagination. After a photograph of our last halt we harness up 
again, and are off once more. We now travel through the monotonous 
dead leyel plains which extend for miles round Winchelsea. The 
waxbill (Estrilda temporalis) is no longer to be seen, and the imper- 
tinent old blue wren is very scarce. The country rapidly becomes 
familiar as we roll along past Waurn Ponds and through Belmont 
back to the College which we reach at about 6 p.m. 
GENERAL.— When we reached the St. George first, the tide in it 
had arise and fall of about 3 feet. A flood came down while we 
pere there and after the flood, the rise and fall was only about six 
inches. 
There were a good number of rabbits in the district, and we at 
first utilised them to supply our table. But we soon dropped this 
.as we found that two out of three were affected by some disease, the 
diver being mottled with white. 
Nores on THE EvrOoMOLOGY.—Althoughinthe main camp proved 
most enjoyable, everything passing off successfully and’ without 
-accident, yet, from an entomological point of view, there was a 
