Rhopalocera from the Australian region. 159 
their heads and anterior segments raised Sphinaz-like : 
they grow very rapidly, and when full-fed attach them- 
selves to a stem of their food-plant and change to a 
slightly angulated chrysalis, pale greenish yellow, with a 
conspicuous yellow spiracular stripe. The butterflies 
appeared in ten days or a fortnight, and invariably 
emerged just before dawn. Shortly before they were 
disclosed the wing-cases of the males became a beautiful 
yellow, and the spots could be plainly discerned at the 
margins of the wings; the females were much paler. 
The chrysalis of this species is not nearly so angulated, 
nor are the wing-cases or sheath of proboscis so produced 
as in many others of the genus. I have also taken this 
butterfly at Brisbane, Claremont Islands, and Thursday 
Island. None of my larve were ichneumoned. 
Eurycus cressida, Fabr. (Pl. VI., fig. 12). 
This interesting species was common at Thursday 
Island, and at Brisbane and Cooktown. At the latter 
place I noticed females depositing their eggs upon some 
low-growing creeping plant, apparently allied to Aristo- 
lochia, but failed to find any larve. Mr. Miskin, of 
Brisbane, kindly gave mea pupa, from which I bred a 
fine male. The butterfly flies straight and moderately 
high, and looks as if it was weak on the wing, though 
when it is frightened it can go at a rapid pace. In some 
places they assembled in large numbers round the flowers 
of Hucalyptus, and on these occasions were, of course, 
far out of reach. 
ORNITHOPTERA. 
I shall never forget the intense pleasure I experienced 
at seeing for the first time, in its native haunts, the 
magnificent Ornithoptera durvilliana. It was on 22nd 
November, 1882, at Meoko, one of the islands of the 
Duke of York group, situated between New Britain and 
New Iveland. We arrived and anchored in the little 
iand-locked harbour, in front of the trader’s house, early 
in the afternoon, and I at once went on shore. Meoko 
is a small island, not more than three or four miles in 
circumference, and densely wooded, some of the trees 
being of immense size and height, and the undererowth 
composed of a varied and luxuriant tropical vegetation. 
