26 The South Australian Naturalist. 



Lectures, November 16, 1920.— Mr. A. M. Lea, F.E.S., Gov- 

 crjimeiit Entomologi.st, delivered a leeture on "Butterflies and 

 Moths." He showed some beautiful specimens by means of 

 the epi.scope. Among others were the Wanderer butterfly, 

 Avhich is worJd-wide in distribution, and is found Avherever the 

 wild cotton is found. The cocoon of this insect is found on this 

 bush, and is of a beautiful green and gold colour. Many speci- 

 mens were shown in which the insects were gorgeously coloured 

 on the under surface of the wings, while the top is of a drab 

 colour, to suit their surroundings, thus protecting it from its 

 enemies. One species shown exactly resembled a dead leaf 

 when still. The moths dealt with included many whose larvae 

 are destructive to grain and vegetable crops. The codlin moth, 

 and the grape vine hawk moth, and many others were shown 

 through the episcope, and the lecturer outlined methods for 

 dealing Avith such as are pests. Mr. E. H. Ising gave an illus- 

 trated lecturette on "The Eucalypts between Adelaide and 

 Mount Lofty railway stations"; and an account of same will be 

 published in our next issue. 



Lecture, December 14, 1920 — The final public lecture for the 

 year 1920 was delivered by the Chairman (Dr. C. Fenner), who 

 gave an illustrated address on "The Greater Extinct Animals 

 of the World.'' The first part of the address dealt with the 

 distribution of animals in time and s])ace, and views were shown 

 illustrating tlie evolution of various groups of larger animals. 

 Several pictures were shown of the localities in which fossil dis- 

 coveries have been made, ranging from Alaska, through the 

 deserts of Egypt and western United States, doAvn to Lake 

 Callabonna in South Australia. Several beautiful examples 

 were given of collaboration between the scientist and the artist 

 whereby these great monsters of the past, in their proper sur- 

 roundings, were as truthfully as possible presented. Probably 

 the best work of this kind has been done in America. An inter- 

 esting feature of the evolutionary side of the subject was given, 

 showing how nature working on different materials and along 

 different lines had produced similar animals. Thus, the horse 

 and the rhinoceros had each been separately evolved on more 

 tlian one occasion. Indeed, a marsupial rhinoceros now been 

 shown to have develo))ed in Australia, the evidence having been 

 recently discovered in north-western Tasmania. Sever actual 

 examples of fossil bones (kindly lent by Professor Sir Douglas 

 ^laAvson) were shown to the audience, including some bones and 

 teeth of a huge diprotodon. which had been discovered at Tsliiig- 

 ton, and the earbono of a whale, discovered in a bore at a depth 

 of 400 ft. at Drv Creek. 



