230 [October, 



Eucalyptus foliage in early sunimer. It is a t^tout, bright green, slug- 

 like creature varied with yellow, with rose-coloured tubercles, each 

 bearing a circular series of motile stiff hairs or spines. The slightest 

 touch of these hairs causes a sensation like that of the sting of a 

 nettle, only worse, which soon subsides, but remains perceptible for 

 sevei-al hours afterwards. 



Another caterpillar possessed of very marked urticating powers 

 is the enormous larva of the line Bombycid moth Chelepteryx collesi, 

 Gray, which is found, but rather sparingly, on the foliage of Euca- 

 h/ptus at Botany Bay and elsewhere. This larva attains to nearly the 

 size of that of Acheronfia atropos, and is of a dull dark green colour 

 with several bright yellow tubercles on each segment, bearing fascicles 

 of stiff reddish hairs, which sting very severely when touched. The 

 cocoon, which is not unlike that of Odonestis potatoria on a large 

 scale, both in texture and colour, is often found (but usually empty) 

 under loose bark, and is also an undesirable object to handle, as the 

 stinging hairs of the larva are freely interwoven into its substance. 



Among the Hymenoptera the ants are very much in evidence, es- 

 pecially the small evil-smelling species of Crematog aster, which swarm 

 under loose bark to the exclusion of more desirable insects, and the 

 large and formidable stinging species of the genus Mijrmecia. These 

 ants, which are much dreaded and disliked by the inhabitants of New 

 South Wales, are known by them under the names of "bulldogs," 

 "inchmen " (in allusion to their length), '" jumpers," " soldiers," and 

 "joeys ;" the last name being applied especially to the bright red M. 

 gulosa, Fab., which is the most fierce and aggressive of them all, and 

 is endowed with the most severe and painful sting. It makes large 

 subterranean nests in dry sandy places, often at the foot of a particu- 

 larly inviting looking bush or tree, and I have more than once been 

 very disagreeably surprised by finding a string of these savage 

 creatures running up the leg of my trousers, having unwittingly 

 put my foot into one of these nests. This ant, as well as the larger 

 and stouter, but less active black M. forficata, Fab., and the smaller 

 M. pilosula, Sm. (black with bright yellow mandibles), is constantly 

 found ranging about a foliage, and all three frequently appear in the 

 umbrella while beating, and necessitate a good look-out being kept in 

 order to avoid being stung, A large harmless brown species of Cam- 

 ponotus^ which lives in strong colonies under logs and loose bark, is 

 known as the " sugar-ant," and is the host of the interesting Brenthid 

 beetle Cordus hospes, Germ., which is sometimes found in considerable 



