102 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



passing one after the other in the same direction, they 

 never turn Imck, but fly on and on, urged thereto by that 

 irresistible impulse which is so interesting and yet so 

 perplexing to observers. 



Although we at times have great flights distributed 

 all over the colony, they are generally fairly broken up 

 and scattered, and rarely, if ever, do we see the vast 

 flights, such as have been oloserved in Queensland, passing 

 at a great altitude from east to west. 



The eggs are very pretty objects, being a pale-yellow 

 colour, shaped something like ninepins, finely rilibed, and 

 deposited upright in patches of 50 or 60 upon the upper 

 surface of the leaf. 



The caterpillars will attack any species of Caper 

 {Capparis). C. nobiiis, C. lasiaiitha^ and C. MitclieUi 

 have all been given as food plants from New South 

 Wales and Queensland, but only the latter species is 

 indigenous to this colony, and that only in the northern 

 part. By reason of their great numbers these caterpillars 

 frequently strip the Caper trees (see Fig. I., on which 

 the full-grown caterpillar and chrysalid is shown), the 

 tops especially being rendered quite bare, and signifying 

 the presence of the larvse even from a distance. The full- 

 grown caterpillar is cylindrical, slightly tapering at each 

 end ; head black, with scattered hairs and a white V on 

 face. The dorsal area is dark olive brown, covered with 

 very small yellow dots, and with a series of larger spots 

 on each segment ; spiracular lines, yellowish ; ventral 

 area, yellowish green. Some eggs obtained by the authors 

 were deposited upon 19th November, and hatched upon 

 the 29th, the larvae made good progress and were all 

 changing into the chrysalis state on 29th December, or 

 exactly one month from date of hatching, the perfect 

 insects emerged about 11th and 12th January. 



The chrysalis is pointed in front, and is greyish white, 

 speckled with black and yellow. (Our figure has been 

 drawn from a very dark-coloured specimen, on which pink 

 was prominent.) The insects mostly emerge between 



