NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
181 
re-set him, afterwards placing the card in a store box. A 
week later, on opening the box, there he was walking about, 
and had not touched another specimen. I felt very sorry for 
him, though the gum was so thin it was easy to free himself. 
The third time I made sure of him and gave it a week. 
The flower beds, sides of paths, &c., just now are adorned 
with a number of little pits like inverted cones. I found it 
a most interesting occupation dropping ants into them and 
watching the ant-lion firing jets of fine soil at the poor ant 
as it endeavoured to climb the sides of its prison. After being 
rolled down a couple of times, one catches a glimpse of a 
pair of jaws in the bottom of the pit ; these seize the ant by 
a leg, and it is drawn down into its living tomb. So abundant 
are these traps, that as many as twenty may be found in a 
square yard of ground in a good locality. 
August 26. — I wonder if there is as much in sexual selection 
as some writers would have us believe ? I was watching 
a very damaged female ‘ white ’ butterfly (Teracolus sp.) 
to-day ; not only was it badly rubbed, but the hind wings 
were so ragged there was very little left of them. A male 
came sailing up and fluttering around, and she prepared to 
receive him, when four more males arrived with a rush. Four 
of the five were in splendid feather as if newly emerged. The 
female exercised no discretion, being prepared for the first 
comer. The males exercised none or lacked a taste for beauty 
and symmetry. 
As things go at present, I stand a fair chance of having 
more influence with the native population than the Governor. 
To-night, as one of the boys was fetching my dinner, I pulled 
a couple of feet of grey ‘ catapult rubber ’ from my pocket, 
and, making it twist and wriggle, said ‘ Nini he 5 (What’s this). 
Bang ! went the plate, and the boy, with a yell as if he were 
being murdered, precipitated himself from the room. He 
would hardly approach my end of the table during the rest 
of the evening. No need to lock my bedroom door, it is a 
veritable chamber of horrors to them, and it is all one can 
do to get them in. The door is generally thrown wide open, 
and the floor scrutinised before entering; having deposited 
the coffee (or whatever it be) on the table, he clears out with 
