THE BUGONG. 



richness exceeding the power of man to imitate, and more than realizes the metamor- 

 phosis achieved by the fairy godmother's wand. This transformation is confined to the 

 upper wings, the lower retaining their simple brown hue. The upper wings are sprink- 

 led with some pale spots. The under side is grayish brown, marked with spots simi- 

 lar to those on the upper surface. 



PERHAPS the most interest- 

 ing of these butterflies is the 

 now celebrated BUGONG (Eu- 

 plcea hamdta), the so-called 

 " moth " on which the aborig- 

 ines of New South Wales are 

 in the habit of feeding. 



The Bugong is found chiefly 

 upon a range of granite hills 

 called the Bugong Mountains, 

 and it is rather remarkable 

 that the insects congregate 

 upon the outcropping granite 

 masses in preference to the 

 wooded sides of the mountains, 

 and are found in greatest 

 plenty at a considerable eleva- 

 tion. Mr. G. Bennett visited 

 these mountains for the ex- 

 press purpose of investigating 

 the subject, and in his " Wan- 

 derings " gives the following 

 interesting account of the 

 Bugong : 



" The Bugong moths, as I 

 have before observed, collect 

 on the surfaces and also in 

 the crevices of the masses of 

 granite in incredible quanti- 

 ties. To procure them with 

 greater facility, the natives 

 make smothered fires under- 

 neath those rocks about which 

 they are collected, and suffo- 

 cate them with smoke, at the 

 same time sweeping them off, 

 frequently in baskets-full at a 

 time. After they have col- 

 lected a large quantity, they 

 proceed to prepare them, 

 which is done in the following 

 manner. 



A circular space is cleared on the ground, of a size proportioned to the num- 

 ber of insects to be prepared. On it a fire is lighted, and kept burning until 

 the ground is considered to be sufficiently heated, when, the fire being removed, 

 and the ashes cleared away, the moths are placed upon the heated ground, and 

 stirred about until the down and wings are removed from them ; they are then placed 

 on pieces of bark and winnowed, to separate the dust and wings mixed with the bodies. 

 They are then eaten, or placed in a wooden vessel and pounded by a piece of wood into 

 masses or cakes resembling lumps of fat, and may be compared in color and consistence 

 to dough made from smutty wheat mixed with fat. The bodies of the moths are large, 

 33 



MIDAMUS. Euplsea Midamus. 



