2G0 AMONG THE BUTTERFLIES OF THURSDAY ISLAND, 



way through it in a north easterly ^direction, divided by a 

 moderately broad valley crossing the island from north to south, 

 and beyond this again there is a range of hills in the north east 

 corner of the island, and another range in the south east corner. 

 The highest point is 374 feet high. The settlement is situated 

 upon Vivien Point, the south west extremity of the island, and 

 extends along the beach for about half a mile from thence. The 

 whole island is surrounded by a coral fringe reef. 



After lunch I went on shore with three of my messmates. 

 Lieutenants Ommanney and Allenby, and Mr. Hunter, midship- 

 man. The two former I provided with nets and boxes, as they 

 were anxious to help me to, as they said, complete my collection of 

 the Australian butterflies, as this would be the last opportunity we 

 should have of landing in Australia. We landed on the beach a 

 little to the north east of the settlement, and walked to the valley 

 which intersects the island, and across this to a range of hills 

 which lie in the north east corner, and whose highest point. Rose 

 Hill, is 223 feet. The valley was sparsely clothed with trees, the 

 chief of them being Eucalypti, Casuarina, Banksia, Persoonia, &c. 

 Grass was abundant everywhei-e and in some places, especially at 

 the edge of the forest, was breast high. There were also a few 

 small acacia and cassia bushes, and some others I am unacquainted 

 with, and here and there patches of vetches and other leguminose 

 plants. The ground in many places was thickly strewn with 

 volcanic blocks of stone, and these, hidden among the grass, made 

 walking dangerous and unpleasant, and running almost out of the 

 question. Most conspicuous objects in this valley were the cone- 

 shaped or castellated dwellings of the Termites. Some of them 

 were from ten to twelve feet high, and eight or ten feet in circum- 

 ference. They were evidently all inhabited for several pinnacles 

 we kocked off were swarming with ants. The galleries were full 

 of vegetable matter which apparently consisted of a mixture of bits 

 of dead leaves, grass seeds and wood dust. The nests were 

 composed of agglutinated sand, and were as hard as sand stone 

 itself. It is astonishing how these little creatures can construct 

 such wonderful dwellings. They must be several years raising one 



