AND THEIU TllANSFOllMATIONS. 6 



and remains motionless (unless disturbed) for a considerable time, apparently as if to satisfy itself respecting the iitness of time 

 and place for the ultimate venture. We often amused ourselves with watching this peculiar instinct, and although we 

 approaclied on tip-toe and with tlie greatest caution, yet it would take the alarm and swiftly disappear — the quickness of the 

 action, and the intelligence of aspect (figuratively speaking) imparted by the large and prominent eye cases, would almost lead 

 to the deceptive belief that the pupa was endued with active auditory or visual organs. To observe, therefore, elfectually tlie 

 last transformations, we were compelled to remain motionless at convenient distances — the pupa would tlien reappear, after a 

 while slowly tlirust nearly half its body out, with the back downwards, take a moment of rest, then with a few violent jerks 

 the sldn is rent from the liead down the tliorax, and the imago attaching the front feet to tlie bark above, crawls heavily to 

 some place convenient for suspension, leaving the exuviae exserted. 



At rest, these insects are invariably pendent, secured by the feet of the first and second pairs of powerful legs, stretched 

 out in full overhead ; the bodies of the smaller species only, gracefully recurved — the wings fold close to the body with their 

 tips meeting at some distance from, and underneath, the abdomen. 



The flight of the Charagia is of extreme velocity, resulting in an early destruction of the plumage, and we may further 

 remark that no insects fade after death more quickly or more eCfeotually than those now under consideration, so that it is 

 scarcely possible to imagine that the pallid cabinet specimens were ever the brilliant beings we have seen in the freshness of 

 their beavity. We have often regretted that no means could be devised to perpetuate their colors, for we can safely assert that 

 no adequate idea can be entertained, nor correct description given, unless taken from the living examples. 



In Dr. Bennett's " Gatherings of a Nataralist in Australasia " we iind at page 288 the following passages, on which we feel bonnd to make some 

 obsoi-vations, more especially as they relate to the particular group now under consideration ; — 



" In the Wattle trees the pink grab is found, which is the larva of a moth of the genus Ghamgia ; it is eaten by the Natives, and Europeans who have 

 tasted it say it is not disagreeable." 



In a note he states : " The Sphmria Robertsii of Now Zealand is found growing on the caterpillar of the moth named Ohanujia vireseens. Miss Scott 

 mentioned to me that she had seen the caterpillar of a species of Gharaijia in Australia with a SphiBria growing upon it." 



Respecting this last statement, we must say that the learned Author has misunderstood, or more probably forgotten, the tenor of the casual conversation 

 to which he alludes, for such an expression of our opinion would have been totally at variance with our experience in regard to the Olmratjiai. Wo have for many 

 years asserted that the caterpillars of tliat genus arc not afflicted by any of the numerous kinds of Sphcriaj hitherto discovered in this Colony, or in Victoria, 

 Tasmania, or New Zealand. 



The attention of , the reader is requested to our description of the genus Fieliis, which will appear in Part II. of this work, and in which we endeavour, at 

 some length, to maintain our views as to the precise class of Caterpillars subject to the attack of the sporules of this peculiar fungus. 



The finh grub, mentioned by Dr. Bennett, belongs probably to the genus Zeuzera, several species of which are found abundantly in the larva state (one 

 of a pinkish color) in our neighbourhood, existing in the trunks of the Acacia afRois, and Acacia floribunda, commonly known as wattles ; and these cater- 

 pillars are eaten at certain seasons with considerable relish by the Aborigines and even by some Europeans. 



SPECIES 1.— CHAKAGIA LIGNIVOR2V.- (Pi,.vi i: 11.) 



; Lkjnivoru^, Lewin, Lep. Ins., New South Wales, pi. 10. 

 Phloiopsyclus Tenusta, Scott, on plate 2, Ans. Lep., and in original MSS. ■ 

 Oharagia Lignivora, Walker, Cat. Brit. Mus., Lop. Het., p. 1570. 



Prom several of the colored copies of Lewin's " Lepidopterous Insects of New South Wales," extant in Sydney, we found 

 that his "HepialusLignivorus" 9 difi'cred materially from the female of the Phloiopsyehc Venusta of our plate and original 

 manuscript— his insect possessing the head and thorax green, whereas, in ours, the former is silver-grey and the latter 

 yellowish-red, mth other material diiferences. We, therefore, entertained the belief that the two insects were of distinct species. 

 Upon comparison, however, with the specific characters of the Charagia Lignivora, as detailed in the catalogue of the British 

 Museum, we have arrived at the conclusion that the two may be considered identical, although incorrectly colored in the copies 



referred to.' 



The sexual difference in the coloring of the smaller species of Charagia has hitlierto been of a fixed character, the male 

 invariably of a lively green adorned with silver, whereas the female as invariably is pm-ple and green, devoid of the silver 

 markings, clearly illustrated in the two examples now laid before the public. This dissimilarity would naturally lead those 

 unacquainted with the history of this group to separate the sexes and describe them as different species, an error which wc are 

 of opinion has been committed in regard to the Charagia Lamberti s and Charagia Lewinii ? , Brit. Mus. Cat., p. 1570, as tliese 



■ Lewin has fi»-ured and described two females, evidently under the mistaken idea that the sexes were alike, as he alludes, inaccurately, to the antenna! 

 of the male. He certainly would not have omitted to mention the marked sexual dillerencc which exists in the Charagi.o, had he been fully acquainted with the 



subject. 



