xi] Ce) 
of the oily body being five-eighths of an inch, and of pro- 
portionate circumference ; the expanded wings measured one 
inch and three-quarters across ; the colour of the wings dark 
brown, with two black ocellated spots upon the upper ones ; 
the body filled with yellow oil, and covered with down.” .. . 
“On showing them [the Murrumbidgee natives] the few 
insects I had, they recognized them instantly ; but I thought 
there was a feeling of disappointment at their curiosity only, 
not appetites, being gratified by my little entomological 
collection.” (Loe. cit., p. 274.) 
It seems evident from this that Mr. Bennett is right in 
calling the Bugong a moth, and that it is at any rate 
certainly not a Huplea. This fact robs the observation of 
some of its significance; nevertheless it seemed to be worth 
while to find out if possible the origin of the mistake. The 
explanation proved to be a simple one, but it affords so good 
an example of the way in which errors are propagated from 
book to book, that I think I may venture, without wearying 
my audience, to give a brief sketch of the history of this 
curious misapprehension. 
On an earlier page of the “‘ Wanderings,” Mr. Bennett had 
been commenting on the gregarious habit of the Bugong, the 
purpose of which, he says, our present knowledge is insufficient 
to determine. ‘To this passage he appends a footnote, which 
runs thus: ‘Captain Cook mentions, that at Thirsty Sound, 
on the coast of New South Wales, he found an incredible 
number of butterflies ; so that, for the space of three or four 
acres, the air was so crowded with them, that millions were 
to be seen in every direction, at the same time that every 
branch and twig was covered with others that were not upon 
the wing; and Captain King observes (‘Survey of the Coast 
of Australia,’ vol. i, p. 195): ‘Here, (Cape Cleveland,) as 
well as at every other place that we had landed upon within 
the tropic, the air is ‘‘ crowded” with a species of butterfly, a 
great many of which were taken. It is, doubtless, the same 
species as that which Captain Cook remarks as so plentiful 
in Thirsty Sound. The numbers seen by us were indeed 
incredible; the stem of every grass tree, (Xanthorrhca,) 
which plant grows abundantly upon the hills, was covered 
