i62 Kershaw, A Naturalist in Northern Queensland, [voi'xxxi . 



collecting lualciiai, we were each well loaded. The day was 

 very hot, and the ground cracked and hard owing to the want 

 of rain, and, though our course was fairly level, we were glad 

 of an occasional spell. We ])assed through open forest, with 

 occasional narrow belts of thick scrub, which border a num])er 

 of small creeks, now dry, but full of water in the rainy season. 

 Enclosed within these belts of scrub are broad flats, usually 

 overgrown with tall, rank grass, in places up to four feet high, 

 with numerous tall termites' mounds scattered about. Small 

 creeks which cross the flats are nearly always indicated by 

 belts of Screw Palms, Pandanus. In the thick scrub were 

 many beautiful fan and other palms, lig-trees, and tall bamboo 

 thickets, forming a dense tangle very difficult to penetrate. 

 On the journey, in a somewhat sheltered part of the forest, 

 we suddenly came upon numbers of butterflies flying about, 

 chiefly Danaida arcJnppus, D. petilia, D. affinis, and the black 

 and white EupUra Sylvester. Our packs were immediately 

 dropped, the heat and weariness forgotten, while we rushed 

 here and there, busy with our butterfly nets. Curiously enough, 

 although these butterflies were so plentiful in this small area, 

 we did not meet with them elsewhere on this journey. About 

 a week later, however, we came upon a similar but much larger 

 flight, some eight or ten miles further south. These consisted 

 chiefly of EitpUva Sylvester, hundreds of which were flying about, 

 while dozens could be seen resting on a single dead tree, several 

 specimens being taken with one sweep of the net. In this case 

 it was thought that their sudden appearance in such large 

 numbers was due to the fact that a few showeis of rain had 

 fallen on the previous day. 



We reached our destination before dark, and pitched our 

 tent on the bank of the river on the margin of the dense scrub. 

 Here we had a plentiful supply of good water, and could bathe 

 safely in a shallow pool. During the evening we saw a jiair 

 of the Large-tailed Nightjar, Caprimulgtis rnacrurus. flying 

 over the camp, and heard its peculiar " Chop cho}> " note, 

 and through tlie night were occasionally startled by the loud, 

 gruff ])ark of the crocodiles close by. There was a good 

 crossing here, as the river was very low, fonning a series of 

 water-holes connected by narrow channels, with here and there 

 broad patches of sand. The whole is covered in by the tall 

 trees, giving a beautiful and very welcome shade. On either 

 side of the river was the usual tangled jungle of tro})ical 

 vegetation, into which, without an experienced guide, one dare 

 not penetrate, and 1 often envied Mr. MT.ennan's ability to 

 guide us safely back to camp. Outside the scrub aie extensive 

 grassy plains, with scattered j)atches of Pandamis and wooded 

 liills. We explori'd these so far as our time jHiniitted. taking 



