262 AMONG TUB BUTTERFLIES OF THURSDAY ISLAND, 



up the side ot the hill until I got well within the shelter and shade 

 of the trees. It was difficult walking for the ground was covered 

 with large loose stones, which were more or less hidden by the under- 

 growth so that it was necessary to be careful and look where one 

 was going to. Once or twice I narrowly escaped a fall as I was 

 eagerly pursuing some attractive species, and usually, upon these 

 occasions, the insect was lost, and I found it a much better plan to 

 walk along quietly or stop altogether when I reached a likely- 

 looking spot, for butterflies often come quite close if one keeps 

 perfectly still. The most abundant species in the forest were 

 Papilio Polydorus, Hypolimnas alimena, and Euplcea Sylvester, 

 but perhaps I had better at once proceed to give a list of the 

 species seen and captured with remarks thereon, instead of a 

 rambling disconnected account. 



Ormthoptera Priamus. Linn., var. Pronomus. Gray. Three 

 or four of these most magnificent butterflies were seen, and a pair, 

 a male and female in perfect condition were captured. I was also 

 fortunate enough to find two chrysalids and two full grown larvje, 

 and saw many smaller larvae which I did not take as their food 

 plant will not keep fresh for more than a couple of days on board 

 ship. The larvae were feeding upon a kind of Ipomcea which was 

 twining itself among and over the brushwood, some at a consi- 

 derable height while others were feeding upon portions of the plant 

 which were trailing on the ground, and I nearly trod upon one of 

 the largest larvse. The following is a description of a full grown 

 larva. 



Length two and a-half inches ; tapering slightly towards each 

 extremity ; central segments thickened ; comparatively short and 

 obese ; smoky black with a tinge of madder purple ; head black and 

 shining, with a narrow white v-shaped mark on face ; upon the 

 crown of the second segment a crescent-shaped shining black plate, 

 and between this and the head is the nuchal aperture, through which, 

 when the larva is irritated, is emitted a pair of short thick carmine- 

 coloured tentacles ; a subdorsal row of finely pointed spines on 

 each side, the spines rather long, and those on the posterior segments 

 pointing backwards ; tips and base of spines black, intermediate 



