1892.; 157 



scarce and pretty little X. leprea, Hew., I saw only one or two, bigli 

 up on the mountain, in March, when its flight was almost over. The 

 Vanessid(B are represented by Junonia Vellida, F., Pyrameis cardui, 

 var. Kershawii, McCoy, and P. Itea, F., all three of which are not 

 scarce ; and I have found the larva of the last mentioned insect on 

 Urtica incisa, Poir., a nettle of the most formidable stinging powers. 

 Lucia aurifer, Blanch., a pretty little orange and brown butterfly, 

 haunts sunny banks and road-sides, like our Chrysophanus PhJaeas, 

 which it much resembles in its flight and habits. I met with three 

 species of Lyccena^ L. Phcehe, Murr. (a very widely distributed 

 Australian species), and the little dark brown L. agricola, Doubl., 

 being very common ; Lampides hcetica, L., also occurs, but I did not 

 come across it. Three species of HesperidcB are found on the slopes 

 of Mount Wellington, but none of them are plentiful. 



The Tasmanian moths are numerous, and several of them are very 

 handsome, but I did not get a great many during my stay. Perhaps 

 the species which pleased me most was a little moth, almost iifac 

 simile of our Psodos coracina, except that it has the basal half of the 

 hind-wings pure white ; it occurred pretty commonly on one occasion 

 at the top of Mount Wellington. The " wattle" trees (Acacia spp.) 

 are much damaged by the larvae of a huge moth allied to Cossus, which 

 bores into the solid wood like its English prototype, and the imago is 

 sometimes found drying its wings on the trunks. These big white 

 larvae were in old times a favourite food of the natives, and even now, 

 I am told, are not despised by some of the colonists. In dry sunny 

 places the pretty little metallic-green species of Pollanisus are com- 

 mon, and they remind one forcibly of our " Green Foresters." The 

 cocoons of a fine large Bomhyx allied to Odonestis {Borala adusta) 

 are found in large numbers under loose flakes of Eucalyptus bark. 



As usual, the Coleoptera took up most of my spare time and 

 attention, and I have every reason to be satisfied with my success as 

 regards this Order, as, in the three months of my stay, I obtained re- 

 presentatives of more than 700 species, of which quite 600 came from 

 the Hobart district alone. This number in all probability represents 

 but a small part of the actual Coleopterous fauna of Tasmania, which, 

 when it is as thoroughly worked out, will, I think, compare very fairly 

 with that of an equal area in the British Islands. 



{To he continued.) 



