46 ON THE AGROTIS VASTATOR, 



I therefore add a few lines descriptive of tlieir habits which I 

 obtained from a source unmistakeably accurate, and which I 

 hope will prove interesting. 



In January and March of the year 1865, my friend Mr. 

 Robert Vyner visited the Bougong Mountains, accompanied in 

 the first instance by an aboriginal, " Old Wellington," and in the 

 other by Mr. Sharp of Adelong, Old Wellington, and another 

 black-fellow, both of these latter well acquainted with the habits 

 of the moth, called by them " Boogong " and " Gnarliong," 

 indiscriminately. The tops of these mountains are composed of 

 granite, and present a series of lofty peaks, and it was up one of 

 these, named by the natives " ISTumoiadongo " he and his com- 

 panions toiled for nearly six hours before attaining the summit ; 

 so steep and rugged was the path that even the wild cattle never 

 attempted to ascend to these heights. 



The moths were found in vast assemblages sheltered within 

 the deep fissures, and between the huge masses of rocks, which 

 there form recesses, and might almost be considered as " caves." 

 On both sides of the chasms the face of the stone was literally 

 covered with these insects, packed closely side by side, over head 

 and under, presenting a dark surface of a scale-like pattern — 

 each moth, however, was resting firmly by its feet on the rock, 

 and not on the back of others, as in a swarm of bees. So numerous 

 were these moths that six bushels of them could easily have been 

 gathered by the party at this one peak ; and so abundant were 

 the remains of the former occupants that a stick was thrust into 

 the debris on the floor to a depth of four feet. Mr, Vyner tells 

 me that on this occasion he ate, properly cooked by Old 

 Wellington, about a quart of the moths, and found them 

 exceedingly nice and sweet, with a flavour of walnut, so much 

 so that he desires to have " another feed." His clothes, by the 

 moths dashing against them on being disturbed, were covered 

 with honey, and smelt strongly of it for several days. At the 

 time these multitudes assembled, the tea tree and the small 

 stunted-looking white gums were in full blossom, no doubt yielding 

 up their honied treasures to these nocturnal depredators, whose 

 flight, when issuing from their hiding places to the feeding 

 grounds, was graphically described by Old Wellington " very 



