188 IN AUSTRALIAN WILDS 



wing [Troides priamus, var. richmcndius] . The male 

 of this lovely insect has a golden body and splendid 

 wings, which measure about six inches from tip to 

 tip. The fore wings are velvety black with a golden- 

 green band along the front ; the hind wings are bright 

 golden-green with velvety black margins and spots. 

 The female is larger than the male, and of a blackish- 

 brown colour, with some white on the wings. On the 

 northern rivers this butterfly is known as "The 

 Trogan." 



There were gaily-coloured birds, as well as in- 

 sects, along the forest highway. Red-backed Wren- 

 Warblers [Malurus cruentatus] darted in and out of 

 the bushes, or, with tails erect, hopped about the road. 

 High among the branches a Spangled Drongo [Chibia 

 bracteata] was seen. It was pleasant wayfaring, but 

 after awhile we tired of the open road, and, plunging 

 into a gully, began to break a path through palms and 

 ferns and clinging creepers. The Climbing Lawyer 

 Palm [Calamus sp.], with its endless barbed stems, 

 was the most formidable obstacle, and was overcome 

 only by the vigorous use of clasp knives. The thorns 

 are curved, and when they penetrate flesh or clothing 

 it is difficult to remove them. Our hands were badly 

 lacerated, and we left many fragments of cloth among 

 the Lawyer Palms. Everywhere in the scrub this 

 strange plant was encountered, the stems in most 

 cases being of great length; in fact, one could rarely 

 discover where they began and ended. We learned 

 to respect another vegetable wonder, the Giant Nettle- 

 Tree [Laportea gigas\. If one's hand comes in con- 

 tact with a "Touch-me-not Tree" (popular name) he 

 is likely to suffer from sharp stinging pains for many 

 hours afterwards. The Giant Nettle, which some- 

 times attains a height of eighty feet, is native to New 

 South Wales and Queensland. Specimens of the 

 Walking-stick Palm [Kentia minor'], some five feet in 

 height, were cut to aid us in our scramble through the 

 scrub. 



