1'66' THE ViCtORtAN NAtURALlSt. 



and feet are almost as large and powerful as those of the adult bird, 

 and it runs, or, more correctly speaking, hops through the scrub 

 at a great pace. At this stage the wings are comparatively small and 

 it has practically no tail. The crest, however, is well developed, 

 but the whitish patches on the cheeks and throat of the parent bird 

 have not yet appeared. Writing of this species North states 

 ("Nest and Eggs of Birds, Australia and Tasmania," vol. i., page 

 337) that the female always responds immediately to the call of 

 the male ; such, however, was not our experience, as we constantly 

 heard the curious notes of the male bird without the response of 

 his mate. Once a particular bird called twenty-four times, and 

 only in five instances did the female reply. 



In conclusion, a note on the Starling may be of interest at the 

 present time. The birds are here in great numbers, and are very 

 wary and shy ; so much so that it is impossible to get within 

 gunshot unless a flock comes to the orchard for fruit. Last year 

 one of the settlers had eighteen cases of cherries from twenty 

 trees ; this year he collected about 2 lbs. from the same trees. 

 While away on a Sunday afternoon's fishing excursion, the 

 starlings swooped down and cleared his orchard. Undoubtedly 

 they eat cherries in this district, but, so far, have not attacked 

 the raspberries. 



A NEW RECORD IN VICTORIAN BUTTERFLIES. 

 OGYRIS GENOVEVA, Hew. 



Ogyris genoveva is rightly looked upon as the largest and showiest 

 of its brilliant genus, and is therefore the finest of all the 

 Lycaenidte (" Blues ") of Australia. Ten years ago it was only 

 known from Duaringa, Central Queensland, having there been 

 bred by the late Mr. Geo. Barnard. Since that time it has been 

 bred in Townsville and Brisbane, and quite recently in Sydney. 

 Now I have to record it from our own State. 



In November, 1903, Mr. P. Frichot, of Dimboola, sent me two 

 freshly caught specimens of 0. idtno. The following season I 

 determined, with his help, to search for the larvse and pupse. 

 Doing so we found instead those of 0. genoveva, and bred from 

 them, in Gisborne, the butterflies exhibited here this evening. 



The larvae feed on Loranthus pendtdus, the mistletoe frequented 

 by 0. olane and 0. abrota. In this instance the loranthus was 

 growing upon the small Mallee eucalypts. The most noticeable 

 peculiarity is their place of concealment. Feeding by night, 

 during the daylight they shelter, and afterwards pupate, below the 

 surface of the ground, at the foot of the tree on which their food- 

 plant grows. Scratching away the leaves and earth at the foot 

 of the tree we found them in crevices of the bark, two and three 

 inches below the surface. As usual with the most of the genus, 



