( 451 ) 



visiting my (iamp, though I am donbtful if there would be much difference in 

 tlie insects. The villages are much closer to the river thau we are, which accounts 

 for ns being able to see over the head of the watershed. 



" It will be a wonder to me if I get througli these next two months without 

 some sort of friction with the natives. These peojile here are (|uite different from 

 the Aroa River lot, being lazy, and inclined to be saucy when there is a big crowd 

 of them. When in Cooktown last I bought two kangaroo dogs (stag hounds). 

 The dog got bitten by a snake on the road up, and died. The bitch gave birth to 

 six jiups four days ago, since when she has developed man-eating propensities. I 

 have had to pay several natives for her tackling them, and have now no difficulty 

 whatever in keeping the camp clear of natives. They are only used to such little 

 rats of dogs that the size alone of this one scares them. 



" I find the man I brought up from the Aroa River is of very little good, iu 

 fact useless, as interpreter, and I never use him for that purpose, as I am able 

 to make the natives here understand myself. They know much more of the Aroa 

 River language than I thought. This chap's mate left me on the road : he got 

 scared at seeing so many natives. I am rather sorry that the other man did not 

 bolt too. 



"This place certainly 'takes the bun' for rain. So far it has been raining 

 every afternoon. Last time I was at Cooktown I sent to Brisbane for seven 

 air-tight boxes and an acetylene-gas lamp, and am now very thankful I did. I 

 have a staging rigged over the edge of the steep slope, almost a precijiice, and 

 put the lamp on that and work the nets. I am rather disappointed as regards 

 day-flying moths : I expected to find many more. I have one medium-sized white 

 Nymphalid with simple tail like Chdi-axes. The insect has black underside with 

 white stripes.* Then I have the almost pure wliite Morphotenaris mvescens, and 

 a grey and white Teiiariis with narrow forewiug, which I have not met with before. 

 There are perhaps altogether eight or nine fair-sized butterflies which are new to 

 me, but any amount of new moths. These are rather the rule thau the exception 

 this time, especially among the Geometridac. I have so far taken all the Fieridae 

 found before on the Aroa River and at Owgarra, with the exception of one, and 

 have a fair number of moths. The latter I find resemble very much European 

 things, more particularly the moths which sit on bark or wood." 



Soon after arrival at his destination BIr. A. S. Meek saw two males of Troicks. 

 " While waiting for the carriers I went down to the bed of the river to look at 

 the country for collecting purposes and to select a suitable place for the camp. I 

 had just started to come up, when a native sang out, and not more than fifteen 

 yards away I saw a male Troidcs going down fair wind at a great rate. I most 

 distinctly saw it was green, and at the time felt very disappointed, as I took it 

 for the common form. The second male, which I saw some days later, was a big 

 black and golden specimen that went past the camp. Several people saw it, and 

 one man had a shot at it with small shot. It seemed to be hit, as it spun round, 

 then closed its wings and disappeared over a precipice. I had all the boys out then, 

 what time it was not raining, looking for it, but without success. 



"The natives have brought me in four damaged females of the conjnion Idiul, 

 but more velvety black." 



"Since writing last," Mr. Meek proceeds in his letter of Novemlicr Nth, 

 " the natives have Ijrought in four nudes of the common green Troidfs, thus 



• Myites wt'l/Kferi ftintrltniiru-s, 



30 



