iU. PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



of specimens at an elevation of about 5000 ft. The last locality is very im- 

 portant, as it is in a latitude nearly 100 miles south of the southernmost locality 

 for the race on the sea-coast. I have searched for it without success in the 

 Eange near Murnirundi and Messrs. Goldfinch and Lyell were unable to see it 

 at Mt. Gregson somewhat further west. 



T. abeona rawnsleyi Miskin. 



This race, which is generally smaller than morrisi, in most specimens lacks 

 any pale markings above; there is, however, ia some specimens an incomplete 

 pale narrow band on the hindwing above, a character of more frequent oc- 

 currence and more pronounced in the female than in the male. My specimens 

 are from the neighbourhood of Landsborough, Nambour and Eumundi in S. 

 Queensland. At Mooloolah I found larvae vei-y common in July, 1919, and 

 brought a number to Sydney which I successfully reared. 



The accompanying map (Plate i.) shows at a glance the positions on the 

 East Coast of Australia where the various races are known to occur. As far as 

 the coast is concerned this region has been very well surveyed and over the 

 greater part of it I have myself collected. The distribution of rawnsleyi has not 

 yet been fixed with any great exactitude. It probably occurs further north than 

 at present recorded, and the break in the almost continuous distribution of the 

 collective species abeona at the mouth of the Brisbane River needs further in- 

 vestigation. This should not be a difficult task for an entomologist resident in 

 or near Brisbane. Prom Southport, Q., south to Gabo Island little remains to 

 be done from the point of view of distribution, for I do not think I have gaps 

 in the records greater than 50 miles and such gaps, except perhaps that at the 

 mouth of the Hunter Eiver, are caused by advancing civilization clearing and 

 using the localities in which the foodplant grew in the past. On the Victorian 

 coast the gaps are greater owing to less extensive collecting and the western limit 

 of the range of albifascia has not yet been definitely determined. 



In the Main Dividing Range the races rawnsleyi, Joanna and aurelia have not 

 yet been found, and I doubt if these, with the possible exception of rawnsleyi, 

 exist there. The three localities where morrisi occurs are marked A on the map 

 and further investigation will link up these localities and extend the range of 

 this race much further. The capture of this form on the Mt. Royal Range some 

 two years ago by Mr. J. Hopson is very important and adds still further con- 

 firmation to my suggestion that the Cassilis Gap has formed a baiTier for a great 

 length of time and allowed the development in times past of the northern and 

 southern forms. The tj^aical race abeona and also albifascia, as will be seen from 

 the map, have only been taken at localities of fairly easy access, — places that are 

 near tourist resorts. The intervening ,portions of the Mountains require further 

 investigation. 



The nmethod of conducting the experitnent. 



As far back as 1914 I was able to get fertile eggs from a pairing of abeona 

 and morrisi, but these eggs had to be obtained by dissection from the female, 

 as I did not seem able to get the female to lay them. The lai-vae that hatched 

 did not live long, for they disappeared, no doubt victims to a spider. I then 

 had to consider the best means of overcoming the various difficulties that pre- 

 sented themselves, the chief being obtaining sufficient gi'owing plants in my 

 garden, successful pairing, laying of eggs by the female on the foodplant, and 



