10 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



NOTES BY A LEPIDOPTERIST. 



By Geo. Lyell, Jun. 



( Read before Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 141/1 April, 1890.^ 



On 15th March, two members of our club, despite the counter 

 attractions of Cheltenham, visited Lower Ferntree Gully, in 

 search of lepidoptera. Taking tickets by the 1.30 train, the 

 destination was reached at 3 p.m., and it was decided to try the 

 railway gully before climbing the ranges. Close to the station 

 one of the small skippers, Taractroctra papyria, was taken, and 

 contrary to expectation, this proved the only specimen of that 

 family seen during the afternoon. Just outside the railway 

 reserve several Xenica lathionella, with its beautiful silver 

 markings, were caught ; while Xenica achanla, with its con- 

 spicuous eye-like spots, fluttered around on all sides. 



The ubiquitous common blue Lyccena phcebe, it is needless to 

 say, was present in abundance — in fact, it would be a much more 

 notable fact were its absence to be recorded. Heteronympha 

 merope and Xenica kluggi were also to be met with in every 

 direction. 



Following the sides of the gully, the following moths were 

 added : — Philabota fascia/is, Core/nia vicissata, JSuphroctis 

 melansomia, Procris dolenes, Hellata undalis, as well as the little 

 emerald Chlorochroma cadmaria and the prettily tinted Lithosia 

 bicolor. At this juncture, an excited rush by one-half of the 

 excursionists up the slope of the hill resulted in the capture of a 

 fine specimen of the handsome butterfly, Heteronympha banksii. 

 With such rare game (if the term is allowable) in view, the 

 claims of the ranges were entirely disregarded, and a searching 

 investigation of the bed of the gully at once undertaken. The 

 hunt proved very successful, nearly a dozen specimens being 

 secured. They were caught fluttering among the thickly growing 

 Veronica billardie?i, a plant that might well be examined earlier 

 in the season for the caterpillars. 



In the quest, many were the obstructions met with — sword 

 grass, prickly shrubs, tangled undergrowth, March flies, and 

 perspiration did their best to impede the movements of the 

 expedition. Number two detachment several times came to 

 grief, being tripped up by hidden boughs, and on one occasion 

 falling bodily into the overgrown, though fortunately dry, bed of 

 the creek. A battered Heteronympha philerope had to thank its 

 good fortune for the timely arrival on the scene of two of the 

 handsome H. banksii, number one detachment unanimously 

 agreeing that "a bird in the hand was not worth two in the 

 bush ;" or, to put it more correctly, " two butterflies in the bush 

 were worthy more than one under the net." Shortly afterwards 

 Epinephile abeona was taken, and also Pyrameis itea, and this 



