THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 23 



A butterfly that was taken for Ialmenus evagorus was noticed, 

 which, however, upon being netted, proved to be I. inous, the 

 rarest of the Victorian Ialmenus. We therefore concluded that 

 the larvae seen were those of /. inous and secured a series. Since 

 returning home our supposition has turned out to be correct, 

 several having been successfully bred. Numbers of the handsome 

 Xenica achanta were noticed in their favourite haunts. A few 

 perfect specimens were secured for the cabinet. 



From a Blackwood tree, Acacia melanoxylon, several larvae of 

 I. myrsilus were taken. At Upper Ferntree Gully I have noticed 

 numbers feeding on the Silver Wattles, Acacia dealbata, but have 

 not been able to find the chrysalides. Mr. Lyell has taken the 

 larvae and found the chrysalides under the bark at the foot of the 

 Blackwood. In all the other members of the Victorian Ialmenus 

 the chrysalides are found on the twig or leaf, surrounded very 

 often by the larvae, but in /. myrsilus the caterpillar wanders for 

 a suitable place to complete its metamorphosis. Perhaps as it 

 remains in the pupa a considerable time — from seven to nine 

 months, with rare exceptions — it wisely seeks shelter from wind 

 and rain, which the others do not need, they passing through the 

 pupa stage in from seven to fifteen days. 



New Year's Day turned out very hot, rendering collecting very 

 uncomfortable. Several trees with fine bunches of Mistletoe were 

 searched for chrysalides of Ogyris olane, and a few were taken, but 

 many empty ones seen, clearly indicating that we were a little too 

 late. The Native Cherry, Exocarpus cupressi/ormis, one of the 

 food plants of Delias aganippe, the Wood White, was examined 

 for the larvae, but without success. This butterfly, so plentiful 

 around Melbourne a few years ago, is now becoming scarce and 

 difficult to find. Ialmenus evagoras was met with in large 

 numbers. So great was the quantity of caterpillars that some of 

 the wattles were stripped of leaves. Large series were taken to 

 breed in hopes of obtaining varieties, such as Mr. F. P. Spry was 

 successful in breeding, with the markings on the under side of 

 wings very pale, and almost similar to /. inous. 



Next day, 2nd January, having secured the services of a friend 

 to drive us to Mt. Macedon, we made an early start, our destina- 

 tion being the Camel's Hump. The country towards the mount 

 was very green for the time of the year, the grazing paddocks 

 particularly having an abundance of grass. On one of the lower 

 slopes of the range a suitable spot was chosen to commence the 

 day's collecting. Some splendid bunches of Mistletoe, Loranthus 

 pendulus, were examined in hopes of obtaining larvae of Ogyris 

 abrota or Delias harpalyce, the Imperial White, but with no 

 result; however, we were successful in obtaining several chrysalides 

 and caterpillars of 0. olane. 



Along the banks of a small creek a few of the Dark Coppers, 



