1904. j 



151 



uniform :ui<l monotonous "i-outli of yellow " tussock-grass," and the 

 curious palm-lily. Cordi/Jine {Braccena) aiis/ralin, the " cabbage-tree" 

 of the colonists, is plentifully scattered over the slopes, and is often 

 seen 30 feet in height, with a soft-wood stem more than a foot thick. 

 A few patches of Faqus forest arc also met with, but the real New 

 Zealand " bush " is not encounlered until Ihe centre of the island is 

 reached. 



At Springfield I had to wait until the 27th for a cross-country 

 coach, a matter I did not regret, as I enjoyed the congenial company 

 of one of the leading New Zealand botanists, Mr. L. Cockayne, of 

 Christchurch, who was spending Christmas here. I had already made 

 two flying trips to Springfield in December, in search of Argyrophenga 

 antipodum, Dbld., but owing to very bad weather on both occasions, 

 had only just succeeded in finding it. This time the ^ was common 

 enough, and in fine condition on the 26th, the first sunny day, but the 



? was quite rare. This very interesting butterfly, wheu not dis- 

 turbed, flies quietly and steadily over the tussock-grass about three 

 feet above ground, with the usual action of the moderate-sized Saty- 

 ridce, but it can travel at a good pace when alarmed, and then often 

 soars high in the air. When the sun is shining it settles but rarely, 

 and with wings fully expanded, but on a cloud passing over, it may 

 sometimes be seen to dive into a " tussock " where it becomes at once 

 most difficult to detect. When fully at rest, it sits head downwards 

 with the body and palpi closely applied to a grass-stem, and the fore- 

 wings depressed and almost entirely concealed by the hinder pair. 

 The soft ochreous ground-colour of these accurately matches that of 

 the withered tussock-grass, and the longitudinal silvery stripes that 

 are so conspicuous when the butterfly is in the cabinet, imitate with 

 an exactness which must be seen to be realized, the effect of the 

 light and shade of its immediate surroundings. It is in fact fully as 

 striking and beautiful an instance of " protective resemblance " as 

 the well-known case of Euchlde cardamines at home, in its favourite 

 resting place ou white Umbelliferous flowers. Another very interest- 

 ing butterfly met with here was the tiny Chrysophanus boldenarum, 

 White, with the upper-side, in the (^ especially, glossed with most 

 brilliant purple ; this was not rare in dry stony places, but was not at 

 all easy to catch, as it flew very close to the ground, and when settled 

 as usual on a stone, its ])rotectively coloured grey mottled under-side 

 rendered it almost invisible. O. salusfitis, ¥., was here abundant and 

 fine, and was very fond of resting on the yellow flowers of the As- 

 phodel-like plant Anthericum liookeri, with which the colour of its 

 under-side harmonized very well. 



