THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 19 



Gardens no infected plants have been detected as yet ; perhaps 

 I his absence of the parasite may be due to the abundant supply 

 of tannin in the ground derived from the oak trees growing 

 there. 



I know of other plants which are attacked in their seeds, and 

 at the same time are affected by fungi in the interior of the leaf 

 structure, as those of the mango and loquat; so that here we 

 have a large field for investigation, and one which I believe will 

 prove serviceable in the study of vegetable parasites. Some 

 months ago I inoculated two leaves of a Crassula plant with some 

 fungus material from the Cup fungus ; these leaves soon withered 

 up and became full of mycelia ; the next set of leaves one after 

 another turned yellow and shrivelled up ; the stem proper of 

 the plant is exhibiting a crown of leaves supported by a long 

 naked stem, from which many have fallen off, apparently having 

 been similarly affected. The Cup fungus has not been reproduced, 

 but mischief has been done to the plant, which is still under 

 observation. 



SOME NOTES ON TRANSFORMATIONS OF 

 AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA. 



By Henry Edwards. 



It is somewhat singular that so little attention has been paid to 

 the earlier stages of the moths and butterflies of Australia, for 

 with -the exception of Lewin's admirable drawings of 16 species, 

 a few in Professor M'Coy's valuable " Prodromus," and it may be 

 about 50 or 60 species scattered throughout various periodicals, 

 there is nothing to be mentioned with reference to this most 

 interesting branch of entomological study. The value of a 

 knowledge of the preparatory stages is, however, day by day 

 becoming more apparent, and as a help to proper classification ot 

 the various groups, its importance cannot well be overrated. I 

 am aware that in the descriptions which follow I have been 

 anticipated by other entomologists in the case of some species, 

 but this is a matter of little moment, as it differs greatly in its 

 effect from making synonyms in the description of the imago, 

 for all eyes see not things alike, and even a score of diagnoses of 

 the earlier stages of a given form may be of use, as some details 

 may escape the eye of one observer and yet be apparent to that 

 of another. It is only by fragments that the superstructure can be 

 built up, and, properly regarded, every fact, however trifling, must 

 prove of value to the student of natural science. It is my inten- 

 tion shortly to publish a " Bibliographical List of Transformations 

 of Australian Lepidoptera," and I beg of all who have notes on 

 the larvEe or pupae of any species to put them at once into print, 

 so that my proposed list may be as complete as possible. In 



