1889. 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



would appear against the dark foliage. These were Lassiomata mevope, 

 a species of Satyus. There were also large numbers of a somewhat 

 -smaller species, Xenica achanta, which has a very beautiful underside ; 

 of these I procured a very good series, landing for the purpose, and 

 finding at the same time plenty of a little Acidalia flying over the 

 grass. 



After several hours pulling we again landed, and two of the party 

 set off for the little village of Alphington, in order to obtain some 

 additional refreshments, and I seized the opportunity to have a 

 vigorous foray among the herbage and brushwood. I was soon re- 

 warded by starting some very pretty "carpets," something like the 

 English Coremia ferrugata, and also one which is like the Phoenix (C. 

 suffumatd) as regards the fore- wings, but has the hind-wings of a bright 

 orange colour. On the gum trees I noticed several large oval 

 cocoons resembling those of D. vinula, but considerably more con- 

 spicuous than the latter species generally are. For some time I could 

 not find any but empty ones, but after a little perseverance I managed 

 to secure about two dozen heavy full ones. Upon showing them to 

 my companions they told me that they were what the locusts came 

 from ; but upon cutting one open I found the enclosed pupa belonged 

 without doubt to the lepidoptera. I subsequently bred a very fine 

 series of Anthers eucalypta from the cocoons ; it is a beautiful species 

 of the Satumia type, in fact the larva is like an overgrown Carpini, but 

 they do not produce silk. While examining the wattle trees, I noticed 

 that most of them were terribly infested with internal feeders, and 

 after a short time I was fortunate enough to find a perfect specimen 

 ot the species which was doing the mischief; it was a fine fellow just 

 emerged, and measures 5f inches across the wings — the insect bears 

 a very general resemblance to C. ligniperda, but is larger. One of the 

 most interesting features to me was the number of cases of Psychida, 

 which were to be found on almost every tree, of these there are three 

 species, but so far I have only been able to rear two, though I have 

 the third species still feeding. All of them have transparent, or nearly 

 transparent wings, and the females are simply like large white mag- 

 gots, having no legs or wings, of course they do not leave their cases, 

 but the males come to them. 



But to return to our party, for shouts announced the return of the 

 foragers, bringing amongst other things the welcome treat of some 

 bottles of English ale, and we were soon discussing the good things, 

 while our thoughts and conversation turned upon the " old country," 

 and the very different condition of things in general over there at that 



