204 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



It is somewhat redder and smaller than the English type, and 

 the central row of black spots in the hind wing has very large 

 purple centres; its habits are also different: instead of 

 delighting in " waste places," it prefers shady spots, flying 

 among trees, often resembling Apatura Iris in its habits. 



Not including Micro-Lepidoptera, we only captured about 

 twenty species of Heterocera, mostly very dingy, insignificant- 

 looking things. The English species were Orgyia auriflua, 

 S. hybridalis, A. pinguinalis and farinalis ; also one speci- 

 men of Crambus hortuellus, captured by my friend Mr. 

 Timms, of Blakiston. Experience has proved to me that in 

 England the notion of Noctuae not coming well to sugar 

 when the moon is shining is a delusion ; but in South 

 Australia the iheoiy holds very good, doubtless owing to 

 the intensely dazzling brilliancy with which she shines 

 there. 



Of Coleoptera I took very few species. Of scorpions, 

 snakes, and centipedes, there was no lack, the latter being 

 unpleasantly common, frequently finding their way into 

 one's bed, boots, &c. Three dragon-flies and a few large 

 Mantis made up my miserable list. If I had, as originally 

 intended, worked on to Port Darwin and Carpentaria, the list 

 would, doubtless, have been better ; but the great expense of 

 travelling, and much family illness, prevented me. 



At the end of May insects begin hybernaling, coming out 

 again the end of August, — the winter, or more properly the 

 " wet season," being then nearly over. 



The fatigue one suffers while collecting is at times very 

 painful, especially during a sand-storm, with a burning "hot 

 wind" from the North, bush-fires burning on various ranges 

 of scrub around you, and the thermometer standing at 149* in 

 the sun, and 102'^ in the shade, as Ifrequenily experienced it. 

 It occasionally rises fifteen or twenty degrees higher: the 

 highest I experienced being 160'' in the sun, and IIC in the 

 shade ; on the river Darling it stood at 118° in the shade. 



A few remarks on the manner of operation (though, 

 perhaps, uninteresting to the majority of readers) may 

 possibly be useful to anyone meditating collecting in a 

 tropical or sub-tropical country. 



My apparatus I adapted from an article, by Mr. W. 

 B. Tegetmeier and Mr. Janson, in the 'Field' of August 



