82 [Api-ii, 



[Ihe larva, as figured, is a striking-looking — even ferocious-looking creature ; its 

 head large, black, with two aiigulatcd white marks loriMing a sort of broken square 

 on the face ; the papilla; ycliowish-white ; at the back of the head, widely extended, 

 loose tufts of long black hairs stand out on either side, the iiody blackish-unibreous, 

 covered with similar long black hairs in loose tufts ; on the sides of the middle 

 segments, large curved white blotches; legs bright red, prologs dull red. Cucoon, 

 though formed in the earth, very woolly, the silk, which is rather loose, crowded 

 with the broken hairs of the larva. The moth is a fine creature of over 3^ inches 

 expanse of wings ; of the colour, and of somewhat the appearance of the female of 

 Lasiocampa quercAs, but having upon its fore-wings a, subterminal line of black 

 dots, followed by some black dusting.] 



Braura ligniclusa, Walk. — " The larvLc (sec Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. xxsvii, p. 286) 

 were very abundant last year, feeding on mimosa, but also found during the day 

 clustered on a tree-trunk, or congregated under a limb, on the rough bark of the 

 mimosa in stormy weather or after rain. Now (March) some more larva; have been 

 brought to me from Nggeleni, where they were feeding on Black Wattle, but they 

 seem to be just the same. When the moths commenced to emerge I found thirteen 

 males assembled in the window where the boxes are kept, and two large, heavy 

 specimens (females) out, in one of the boxes. The window was open a little at 

 the top and I do not think that any specimen had escaped from the boxes." 



[Clearly an instance of " assembling " by males.] 



Gonometa postica, Walk. — " Of this large larva I send paintings; you will see 

 that these larvaj nve fringed, some yellow, some white. Their food is J31ack Wattle. 

 I had these from two places — Edward and Harry brought some which they found 

 on a hedge in Umtata, and Budgie brought me others from Nggeleni. The size of 

 the male moth is disappointing after the big larva and cocoon ; these are pretty 

 when alive, with a sort of prismatic lusti'c on the wings, if one could only get them 

 perfect. The largest cocoon was spun out of doors, in a tree, low down, and from 

 it came the largest moth "like an owl " (the female). 1 have several more cocoons 

 spun out of doors, for I visited that hedge in Umtata subsequently, after hearing 

 from the proprietress " Tell Miss Barrett she is welcome to all the caterpillars — 

 nasty things ! " I nmst say, however, that she got a knife and helped me to cut the 

 cocoons off with i)lacid interest. I have marked the cocoons of some of those from 

 yellow-fringed and white-fringed larvtf, to see what is produced by each, but they 

 spun up late and the moths are not yet out — October 2Dth. 



November 2iid. — This is from one of my marked cocoons. It was of the yellow- 

 fringed larva ; you see it is the smaller moth with the prismatic colouring — the 

 male. It is from a larva found at Nggeleni. A curious thing was told me by one 

 of the native teachers about these cocoons. He saw them in my box, and said 

 ' Some years ago people came from the Great Place (i. e.. Chief's Kraal) to hunt 

 for these in the bushes. They would buy them, and made them into ornaments to 

 wear ' — necklaces I believe, or belts for the waist, against the skin, but for what 

 reason remains a mystery — witchcraft probably. They would prick horribly, 

 probably blister the skin, but when I pointed this out he only gave the native shrug 

 of the shoulders, which dismisses the subject as an open question, yet a fact." 



[The prickly condition of these cocoons has been already remarked upon (vol. 



