248 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



obtained. Below on one side was Lyttelton, just like a chess- 

 board, with its streets laid out at right angles to each other ; and 

 H.M.S. 'Espiegle' and other ships in harbour so reduced by 

 distance that they looked mere pigmies ; while on the other side 

 the celebrated Canterbury plains could be seen stretching away 

 for miles and miles, until the eye rested on the New Zealand 

 alps in the far distance ; and Christchurch, which was seven or 

 eight miles off, seemed close beneath. The ground here was 

 extremely rough, being covered with huge blocks of stone, between 

 which tussock grass grew in dense tufts. In some places, where 

 it had to a certain extent been cleared, there were numerous beds 

 of thistles, which were in profuse bloom, and upon which many 

 Pyrameis gonerilla were feasting, while others flew about and 

 sported with each other in the fresh breeze. After resting for a 

 short time and enjoying the fine view I descended the hill by 

 aD other route, and went on board much pleased with my after- 

 noon's work. 



On January 30th I left Lyttelton by an early train for a place 

 called Whitecliffs, a little hamlet about forty miles beyond 

 Christchurch, where I stopped for a couple of days for the 

 purpose of fishing the Eiver Selwyn. After leaving Christchurch 

 the railway crossed the Canterbury plains and passed through an 

 immense tract of country, which at this time of the year was 

 chiefly under wheat. Some of the fields are more than a hundred 

 acres in extent, and the various crops appeared to be in a very 

 flourishing condition. Where not under cultivation the country 

 was overgrown with the usual tussock grass, and there was not 

 a single tree or bush to be seen, except near farmhouses, where 

 Australian gum trees had been planted to form a shelter from 

 the prevailing winds, and were a pleasing break to the otherwise 

 monotonous landscape. 



On reaching Whitecliffs I found the river very high and 

 discoloured by the recent rains and melting snow from the 

 neighbouring mountains, so that fishing was quite out of the 

 question. Luckily the weather was delightfully bright and 

 warm, so I devoted myself almost entirely to Entomology. 



The first butterfly I saw was the curious Argyrophenga 

 antvpodum, which was just coming out and was in splendid 

 condition. The males appear to be the first to emerge, for 

 during the day, although several hundred butterflies were seen, 



