00 [September, 1883. 



May let — Arrived at Aitutaki Island at 8 a.m. : this island is comparatively 

 low and flat, but very pretty, with most luxuriant vegetation : no harbour, but a 

 barrier reef all round encloses a lagoon, and there are one or two passages for boats 

 through it. I had a forenoon on shore with pretty fair success, getting a very nice 

 series of Polyommatus (two species), Euplcea, and some nice fresh moths. I could 

 not, however, find any beetles or land-shells. We stayed here thirty hours, and 

 were most hospitably received by the natives : the chiefs got up a big feast for us 

 (to wliicli I was, unfortunately, not able to go), and sent us off a present of 800 

 cocoa-nuts, 800 lbs. of yams, several pigs, a bullock, and innumerable oranges, &c. 

 There are about 2000 people on each of the islands, Mangaia, Earotonga, and 

 Aitutaki, but no Europeans, except on Rarotonga. The chiefs and a good many of 

 the natives came on board us at all these islands, they seemed very much taken with 

 the ship. 



May 3rd — Arrived at the island of Atiu (Wateoo, of Cook), at 4 p.m : this, 

 like Mangaia, consists of upheaved coral, with a central volcanic nucleus, and looks 

 less fertile than most of the islands from the sea. I landed with the captain, not 

 without difBculty (being carried on the back of a native across the reef), and 

 walked about two miles into the interior to the principal village : here we were well 

 received, but I had no time to look for insects, as we were ofP again at 6.30 p.m. I 

 saw Danaift and Diadema, and some common moths, that was all. A large " stick 

 insect," Lopaphus cocophagus, about five inches long, is very destructive to the cocoa- 

 nut trees in these islands. 



May 9th. — Arrived at Eimeo : stayed there a day, during which I got a few 

 things, such as a very nice Boarinial, Choerocampa erotus (larva on taro). Sphinx 

 convolmili, a good lot of land-shells, &c. ; went over to Papiete (Tahiti) next day. 

 We have been coaling, &c., so have had no time to land ; have bred some nice 

 varieties of Diadema Bolina from Aitutaki larvae. We leave at the end of next 

 week (about 19th) for Pitcairn Island and Coquimbo, where we ought to arrive 

 about the first week in July. — J. J. Walkee, H.M.S. " Kingfisher," at Sea (between 

 Atiu and Tahiti) : May, 1883. 



The larva of Saiurnia carpitii with respect to its edihility by birds. — I cannot 

 discover that any record exists of expei-iments with this larva respecting its edibility, 

 or otherwise, so far as regards birds ; hence the incident I am about to note may be 

 of some interest. About ten days ago I was at Heidelberg, enjoying a walk on one 

 of the hills near the town, under the guidance of Baron Osten-Sacken. A full- 

 grown larva of S. carpini was crossing the path, and as a peacock was strutting not 

 far off, it occurred to us to see what would happen if the larva were brought under 

 his notice. At first he eyed the larva with indications both of doubt and curiosity. 

 Then he seized it and, apparently, found the spines disagreeable ; but, excepting the 

 spines, everything seemed to be satisfactory, for the larva underwent a process of 

 beating on the ground (much after the style of a thrush with a snail) for about a 

 minute, and was then bolted. 



Dr. Weismann, in his " Studies in the Theory of Descent " (Mr. Meldola's 

 English translation), p. 338, notices that this larva was devoured by lizards, with 

 which he experimented. — R. McLachlan, Lcwisham : 9^/4 August, 1883. 



