40 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



In revising this group Meyrick has described as a variety a form 

 which somewhat approaches my Victorian specimens, but it is 

 not nearly so heavily marked, and the hind wings, which in his 

 specimen are described as "sufifused with rosy, with two lower 

 marginal black spots, sometimes connected with broad blackish 

 longtitudinal streaks nearly reaching base," in all of my specimens 

 are almost wholly black. My specimens, moreover, have a 

 central black line on the thorax and a conspicuous black spot on 

 the patagia which his specimen lacks He also says that " gener- 

 ally speaking it is only in the most southern specimens that the 

 black markings in the fore wings are much developed — in going 

 north they tend to disappear," and while this is correct, taken in 

 a general way, as far as my experience of this species goes, yet it 

 is worth noticing that I have the white form almost devoid of 

 markings, and the very dark heavily marked ochreous form, both 

 taken in Victoria, and showing almost the two extreme forms of 

 variation, and again a well-marked specimen of the typical form 

 from Cairns, Queensland. I have not so far been fortunate 

 enough to find a variety which would form a connecting link 

 between the white and ochreous forms. 



As my Victorian specimens differ considerably from that 

 described by Mr. Meyrick, I give the following description, which 

 will show the great extent to which this species varies, and at the 

 same time, I hope, bring it more prominently before fellow- 

 workers : — Head pale ochreous, at incision of neck red. Thorax 

 pale ochreous, with central black line and a conspicuous black 

 spot on the patagia. Abdomen red, apex paler (in another speci- 

 men apex white) ; a dorsal series of broad black transverse spots 

 and a lateral series of small black spots ; beneath ochreous white 

 with a double row of small black spots. Fore wings light 

 ochreous ; costal streak fine at base, but widening out from 

 before middle to near apex, where it ends in a black spot. A 

 subcostal red streak from base to apex but interrupted just before 

 reaching the apex by the black spot before mentioned. An 

 elongate transverse black spot at end of cell. The whole of the 

 veins running to the hind margin are outlined with very broad 

 black lines, which suddenly narrow just before reaching hind 

 margin, leaving only narrow bands of ground colour between the 

 veins ; a broad black inner marginal band. Cilia pale ochreous, 

 base black. Hind wings black ; a rather broad band from base 

 to end of cell, and then narrowly along costa to ^, a very 

 narrow streak from base, not quite reaching outer margin, and a 

 row of three very suffused elongate spots in centre, rosy tinged ; 

 two small light ochreous submarginal spots, one near apex and 

 the other about middle. 



Another specimen is very similar to the above, but it is not 

 quite so heavily marked in fore wings, and the central line on 



