LAKE WAKATIPU 
475 
road was often impassableindeed the flood had been so high a few 
days before that it was not possible to get either into, or out of, 
Paradise. However, after much plunging and splashing, all diffi¬ 
culties were at last surmounted, and then peacefully driving through 
a grand bit of Beech forest along the shore of Diamond Lake, we at 
last entered Paradise by “ Heaven’s Gate,” and had our choice of two 
accommodation houses, yclept “ Arcadia ” and “ Elysium ” ! 
Paradise Flat is the name of a township, which resembles indeed 
Eden in “Martin Chuzzlewit” in so far as the town only exists 
in imagination, but affords a decidedly more pleasant place of 
residence. At first we thought it might be difficult to live up to 
the name, but the cold at nights gave a reassuring earthly character 
to our temporary abode. Our accommodation house provided all 
the necessaries, and a few of the comforts of terrestrial existence. 
Perhaps its lamps were somewhat dim, but it is remarkable that 
they attracted so few moths. However, Borldiausenia pseudo-spretella 
made us feel quite at home. 
The township derives its name from a flat stretch of grass land 
about two miles long, by one mile broad, closed in by mountains on 
every side except the south-east. Mount Earnslaw lies nearly due 
north, but its permanent snowfield and glacier are shut out from view 
by its own lower ridges. To the north and north-west Mt. Sommer 
(7400 ft.), and other mountains of fine rugged outlines, with their 
craggy summits capped with snow, seem to wall in the valley. The 
lower slopes of Mt. Earnslaw and Mt. Alfred opposite to it, are 
clothed with sombre Beech woods. Between “Arcadia” and the 
Diamond Lake was a clump of trees, and on the lower ground beyond 
a golden field of the introduced Kagwort. 
There is no doubt that for day work we were too late in the 
year, though possibly sugar was at its best. The chief insect to be 
obtained on the flat was * Chrysophanus boldenarum, White, which 
was very common on stony ground where there was but little 
herbage, the males far out-numbering the females. It is a pretty 
and very distinct butterfly—purple-blue, not coppery. *ArctestJies 
catapyrrha was to be got on the same ground, and *Coremia semi- 
signata was frequently, and *Coenocalpe gobiatcc occasionally disturbed. 
Other insects met with near the house were * Mnesictena flavidalis ; 
* Scoparia feredayi , Knaggs; * S. cleodoralis, Walk., and * Or ambus 
flexuosellus. 
On the Ragwort in the noon-day sun we found * Morrisonia 
mutans, Persectania eivingi , and the Fly, *8yrphus ortas, Walk. Other 
flies taken on the flat were Odontomyia Moris and *Hysiricia signata. 
