CorENso.—On Danais berenice. 279 
It broke through its pupa case at the top part, near the head and back of 
the imago, the case (in every instance) splitting longitudinally for two-thirds 
of its length into three segments, and then the insect moved its legs a little 
and got out of its prison, and held fast. At this time it appeared almost 
wingless, or with two tiny transversely-folded, squeezed-up plaits (like 
pigmy epaulettes) on its shoulders. These soon began to move, to descend, 
growing larger, and progressing downwards in an astonishing manner— 
soft, damp, limp, and wavy, their colours prismatically glistening like silk 
velvet, and at first falling in graceful folds, plaits, and rumples, without the 
least approach to stiffness. As its wings were mysteriously and silently 
evolved and produced, and grew and descended, they also widened to their 
natural size, but not at first. ‘ 
Tt seemed a truly mysterious sight to see these large wings growing so 
fast—evolving from nothing! by some occult hidden power. It was not, 
for instance, like water (a spring) welling forth from a mountain’s side over 
green moss, for there was the hidden quantity or mass—here there was 
nothing behind, and yet it evolved and grew! 
It took forty-five minutes, or very nearly an hour, before its wings 
attained to their full size, after which they very soon stiffened, and became 
rigid. Beautiful they still were in their symmetry, colours, and markings ; 
but, sic transit! the surpassing glory—that gorgeous pristine excellence 
which had so spell-bound me, was, as an object, gone for ever—never, 
however, to be forgotten while memory remains. 
I have seen, at various times, many plants and flowers unfolding, 
opening, bursting forth into bloom and beauty—have watched the evolution 
of some of our elegant tiny ferns, the rapid growth and change of some 
fungi, and the wonderful and beautiful birth of the ephemeral day-lily, 
when it unrolls its gorgeous petals to the morning sun ; but all that I have 
seen of that description pales and fades before this—the birtlr, the amazingly 
rapid growth, and the beautiful and mysterious development of this butterfly. 
Words fail to describe it, in its splendid and wonderful living reality— 
“ A thing of beauty is a joy for ever." 
About four years ago, I heard from one of our members (Mr. Meinertz- 
hagen) that he had captured at Waimarama a butterfly of this species. On 
his communicating with me concerning it, I identified it as one I had more 
than once seen in my travels in New Zealand many years before. Shortly 
after that I saw a pair of them flying here on the hill-side, at Napier ; 
other specimens were also caught much about the same time, one, or more, 
of which are now in the Museum of the Atheneum in this town. And Mr. 
. Meinertzhagen, and subsequently Mr. Huntley, found from the Maoris 
that they knew the insect well. 
