222 [March, 



to put up some huge Myrmeleons, of the genus Falpares, the spotted 

 and variegated aspect of whose long wings will probably cause you to 

 mistake them for moths. Though much like those other conspicuous 

 members of their Order, the Dragon-flies, these great insects are very 

 unlike Lihellulidce in their flight, flapping wildly and irregularly about, 

 as if their muscular apparatus were too weak to wield their stretch of 

 wings. In repose, the wings are folded above each other so as to form 

 an acute-angled roof above the abdomen. They difier in this respect 

 from the long-horned Ascalapld, which deflect the wings on either side, 

 and hold the abdomen erect, or nearly so. 



As for Grasshoppers, they are in legions, but chiefly of one kind — 

 a large green-and-brown species ; though now and then a slender, long- 

 legged and long-headed Truxalis starts up almost from under your feet, 

 and flies for a short distance with a sharp clicking sound. 



Butterfly life diff'ers widely in this treeless region from its aspect 

 on the wooded coast. The only Papilio that appears is P. Demolcus, 

 and there seem to be but stray specimens of that. The ubiquitous 

 Danais Ohrysippus, of course, is prevalent ; but the Pieridce, so numerous 

 in the lowlands, here find their only representatives in Golias Electra 

 and Pieris Hellica, both insects of wide distribution. Two beautiful 

 AcrcscB, very rare on the coast, have their head-quarters in these parts, 

 viz., A. Nohara and A. violarum, both red, with rows of black spots ; 

 but for the numerous coast species, with the exception of A. serena, 

 you look in vain. But the great feature of these green expanses, as in 

 similar parts of the Cape Colony, is the multitude of Erehia Sahacus. 

 Far as you can see, hundreds of this sober-tinted Satyride are flitting 

 about the grass, or basking on the flowers. Nor must the richly-painted 

 Junonice of the hills be forgotten ; the blue-and-red J. Amestris; its 

 duller but more harmoniously-coloured ally, Anchesia ; the large dark- 

 red Octavia ; and the gaily-varied Ceryne ; all add a charm to the scene, 

 and by their boldness and activity cannot fail to attract notice. Then, 

 if you are in luck's way, at some point where the road cuts into the 

 side of a hill higher than ordinary, you may fall in with the Meneris 

 TulhagJiia, settling under the edge of the bank, and may profitably 

 speculate whether you should class it with the NympJialidcE or the 



Satyridw. 



******* 



I feel it to be necessary to close this series of rambling reminis- 

 cences of insect-collecting in Natal, or I shall run on indefinitely. 

 " Caviare to the general," as they must ever prove, I can at least 

 submit them to the readers of this Magazine, resting assured that. 



