﻿304 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  ZuoJogy. 
  

  

  " 
  A 
  moth 
  from 
  tlie 
  larvae 
  also 
  accompanies 
  the 
  above, 
  for 
  I 
  have 
  fully 
  

   satisfied 
  myself 
  of 
  their 
  identity. 
  In 
  1836 
  I 
  kept 
  the 
  larvae 
  under 
  glasses, 
  

   and 
  fed 
  them 
  with 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  kuinara 
  (much 
  to 
  the 
  annoyance 
  of 
  the 
  

   natives), 
  until 
  the 
  perfect 
  insect 
  was 
  produced. 
  Tliere 
  cannot 
  reasonably 
  

   exist 
  a 
  doubt 
  that 
  this 
  insect 
  deposits 
  or 
  di'ops 
  some 
  of 
  her 
  eggs 
  on 
  the 
  

   branches 
  of 
  the 
  raataa 
  ( 
  Metrosideros 
  robusta, 
  A.C.), 
  beneath 
  which 
  tree 
  

   alone 
  the 
  Splmria 
  rohertsU 
  has 
  hitherto 
  been 
  found, 
  when 
  they 
  (the 
  larvse) 
  

   fall 
  to 
  the 
  earth 
  beneath, 
  die, 
  and 
  the 
  Sjihceria 
  is 
  produced. 
  

  

  " 
  I 
  tliink 
  I 
  can 
  offer 
  a 
  fact 
  for 
  consideration 
  relative 
  to 
  their 
  being 
  only 
  

   (or 
  chiefly) 
  found 
  beneath 
  Metrosideros 
  robusta. 
  One 
  fine 
  evening 
  last 
  

   summer, 
  wiien 
  enjoying, 
  as 
  usual, 
  a 
  promenade 
  in 
  my 
  garden, 
  just 
  as 
  the 
  

   sun 
  had 
  set, 
  I 
  was 
  admhrng 
  the 
  splendour 
  of 
  some 
  plants 
  of 
  Mirabilis, 
  

   which 
  had 
  just 
  unfolded 
  then- 
  scarlet 
  petals. 
  Suddenly 
  several 
  of 
  these 
  

   moths 
  made 
  then- 
  appearance, 
  darting 
  about 
  the 
  plants 
  in 
  every 
  dh'ection, 
  

   pm'suiug 
  one 
  another, 
  and 
  eagerly 
  striding 
  to 
  obtain 
  the 
  honey 
  which 
  lay 
  at 
  

   the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  perianths 
  of 
  the 
  Mirabilis. 
  From 
  this 
  plant 
  they 
  flew 
  

   upwards 
  to 
  the 
  flowers 
  of 
  a 
  stately 
  Agave 
  (A. 
  americanaj, 
  where, 
  being 
  

   joined 
  by 
  other 
  moths, 
  then- 
  congeners, 
  then- 
  numbers 
  soon 
  increased 
  ; 
  and 
  

   thus 
  they 
  continued 
  to 
  enjoy 
  themselves 
  every 
  evening 
  during 
  the 
  whole 
  

   season. 
  The 
  inference 
  I 
  deduce 
  is 
  this, 
  that 
  the 
  ill. 
  robusta, 
  blooming 
  at 
  

   this 
  season, 
  having 
  scarlet 
  flowers 
  which 
  abound 
  in 
  honey, 
  becomes 
  the 
  

   centre 
  of 
  attraction 
  of 
  these 
  insects 
  — 
  increased, 
  too, 
  by 
  its 
  densely 
  crowded 
  

   coma 
  of 
  inflorescence, 
  more 
  particularly 
  so 
  from 
  the 
  blossoms 
  being 
  always 
  

   at 
  the 
  extremity 
  of 
  its 
  branches 
  ; 
  by 
  which, 
  and 
  by 
  thek 
  colom*, 
  this 
  tree 
  

   may 
  at 
  once 
  be 
  distinguished 
  fi'om 
  the 
  other 
  denizens 
  of 
  the 
  forest, 
  even 
  at 
  

   a 
  great 
  distance. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  larva 
  whereon 
  the 
  Sphceria 
  is 
  found, 
  when 
  first 
  taken 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  

   earth, 
  is 
  white 
  internally, 
  and 
  appears 
  solid 
  and 
  succulent. 
  A 
  finely-cut 
  

   shce, 
  when 
  held 
  against 
  the 
  hght, 
  p)resents 
  a 
  beautiful 
  appearance." 
  

  

  I 
  may 
  fm'ther 
  add 
  that, 
  25-30 
  years 
  back, 
  I 
  had 
  a 
  honeysuckle 
  fLonicera 
  

   periclymenum 
  ) 
  trained 
  round 
  the 
  doorway 
  of 
  a 
  house 
  in 
  my 
  garden. 
  This 
  

   plant 
  flowered 
  abundantly 
  in 
  the 
  summer, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  interesting 
  and 
  curious 
  

   of 
  an 
  evening 
  to 
  sit 
  on 
  the 
  step 
  (as 
  I 
  have 
  often 
  done) 
  and 
  watch 
  those 
  large 
  

   moths 
  (Hepialus); 
  they 
  would 
  visit 
  the 
  plant 
  in 
  great 
  numbers, 
  and 
  

   imrolling 
  theh 
  long 
  probosces, 
  probe 
  the 
  flowers 
  to 
  get 
  at 
  the 
  honey, 
  pass- 
  

   ing 
  quickly 
  from 
  flower 
  to 
  flower, 
  and 
  continuaUy 
  coihng 
  and 
  uncoiling 
  then- 
  

   long 
  trunks 
  with 
  great 
  rapidity 
  ; 
  they 
  never 
  hghted 
  on 
  the 
  plant, 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  

   time 
  kept 
  up 
  a 
  tolerably 
  loud 
  humming 
  noise 
  from 
  the 
  quick 
  and 
  incessant 
  

   vibrations 
  of 
  their 
  wings, 
  which, 
  indeed, 
  drew 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  the 
  cats, 
  who 
  

   often, 
  in 
  consequence, 
  captm-ed 
  them. 
  

  

  