32 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV. 



taken on the summit of Mt. Hotham (6,ioo feet), give an average 

 expanse of 67 mm. 



Arriving at the Hospice, we meet our Castlemaine friends, Dr. 

 Drake and his wife, and, examining their captures, are pleased to 

 note a new butterfly for Victoria in Hesperilla jnu7iionga. This 

 was described by OHiff from Mt. Kosciusko in 1889, and but 

 very few specimens have yet been secured. Its nearest ally is 

 H. perornata, from which it is separated by its narrower dark 

 markings and the golden-yellow ground-colour of its underside. 

 We were evidently rather late for this species, as one specimen 

 taken the day of our arrival, and another a few days earlier, were 

 the only examples secured or seen, though we made careful 

 search all through the twelve days spent at the Hospice. 



On the loth February we drove to Mt. Hotham, six miles 

 distant, and the highest point on the Omeo road. Here, on the 

 extreme summit (6,100 feet) we found another butterfly new to 

 Victoria in Xenica orichora. This was named by Meyrick from 

 Mt. Kosciusko in 1885, and has since been several times taken 

 in the same spot, but not elsewhere. Anderson and Spry, in 

 " Victorian Butterflies," mention it as a possible Victorian species 

 likely to be taken near Bright — an opinion now verified. This 

 species was fairly abundant, though not in the best condition, and 

 the preponderance of females showed we were rather late for it. 

 Early January should be the most likely time for both these new 

 Victorian species. 



Two other rare butterflies were Heteronympha solandri and 

 Hesperilla monticolce. Both these were to be taken on the coach 

 road and in the gullies at from 4,000 to 5,000 feet, and both were 

 fairly abundant. Though so lately described, H. solandri is not 

 at all rare at these heights — it has evidently been confused with 

 the similar H. hanksii by those few collectors who have visited 

 the mountains. H. 7no7iticolcE is a Kosciusko species, described 

 from the male alone, by OUiff, in 1889. Three years ago we took 

 both sexes near VValhalla, and the female was then described by 

 Waterhouse. Last month Mr. C. French secured specimens from 

 Walhalla again. 



Xenica correce, as usual above 4,500 feet, was very common 

 indeed. In the evenings it might be seen in dozens, clinging to 

 the Cladium and other herbage along the watercourses near the 

 heads of the steep gullies. In one spot I counted no less than 

 twenty-seven specimens of this pretty little butterfly that could 

 have been encircled by the 12-inch ring of the butterfly net ; but 

 when thus at rest no net is needed, the glass-bottomed pill boxes 

 being much more expeditious and convenient. 



Our handsome swallow-tail butterfly, Papilio macleayanus, is 

 plentiful at the Hospice earlier in the year, and I was rather 

 surprised to take two large females in very fine condition on the 

 summit of Mt. Hotham, and a torn one nearer the Hospice. 



