THE BUTTERFLIES OF THURSDAY ISLAND. 33 
Spaces. Its flight is rather weak, like most others of the genus, 
but it is rather difficult to capture, as it generally keeps to the 
tops of the hollies, where most of the flowers are to be found, 
only venturing below under exceptional circumstances. 
Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham, January 10, 1886. 
[We believe that Mr. J. Jenner Weir was the first to point 
out that the absence of ivy in flower in any particular neighbour- 
hood, might possibly cause variation of seasonal appearance in 
Lycena argiolus, in some very terse and thoughtfully considered 
remarks made before the South London Entomological Society, 
and as Mr. Weir has been in correspondence with Mr. Bath, he 
has doubtless assisted the latter in coming to the foregoing 
conclusions. QOne remarkable fact mentioned by the writer of 
the above remarks is his statement that the flowers of bramble 
and mountain ash would form substitutes for ivy flowers as a 
pabulum for the larve of this species. It will be interesting to 
know if these plants flower in Sutton Park at a time when 
they are usually in fruit elsewhere, viz., during the flowering 
period of Hedera helix.—J. 'T. C.] 
AN AFTERNOON AMONG THE BUTTERFLIES OF 
THURSDAY ISLAND. 
By GervasE F. Maruew, R.N., F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.R.G.S. 
Tue following account of an afternoon’s collecting among the 
butterflies of Thursday Island, on the 18th of April, 1885, may 
perhaps be of interest, as it is a spot, I suspect, which is not often 
visited by an entomologist. 
Thursday Island is the central and smallest of a group of 
islands lying in Torres Straits, off the North Coast of Australia, 
and situated between latitude 10°30 and 10°58 south, and 146°6 
and 142'20 east longitude. The other islands of the group are 
Hammond, Goode, Wednesday, Friday, Horn, and Prince of 
Wales Islands, with numerous small islets. Prince of Wales 
Island is the largest, being eleven miles long by ten miles broad. 
They are hilly, and the hills, from the sea, appear to be densely 
wooded, as are also the valleys between the hills. Most of the 
islands possess numerous small bays, some of them with an 
ENTOM.— FEB., 1886. F 
