488 
AUSTRALASIA 
the Sahara. The only butterflies were a couple of Polyommatus baet- 
icus and one Nacaduba biocdlata , Feld. ( [armillatus, Butl.), taken at 
the flowers of what seemed to be a species of Broom. A Gum-tree in 
flower had attracted Apis ligustica, Paracolletes plumosus, Smith, and 
P. bicolor, Smith, as well as Epactiothynnus cygnorum, Turner. All 
these were taken at Palmyra, a suburb of Fremantle. The bush 
yielded the wasp, Salius bicolor, Fabr., and an Acridian, voila tout! 
This yarn was told by a humorous Scot, if ever there was one, 
on the North Pacific, but was brought to mind by the Scottish city 
of Dunedin:— 
One New Year’s morning a Scotch Minister sallied forth accom¬ 
panied by his ruling Elder to call upon his chief parishioners, as is 
the custom. It was a fine morning, but cold. All went well, they 
found almost every one at home and wished each in turn “ a guid 
New Year,” which was duly reciprocated. TheiMinister was wel¬ 
come to his hospitable parishioners ; as has been said it was a cold 
morning and naturally enough the whisky bottle was handed round. 
Noon drew near, and soon after leaving a house the Minister, 
addressing his Elder, said— 
“ Sandy McPherson, I’m thinkin’ that mebbe we’ve drunk 
a drap mair whusky than is seemly for folk in our responsible 
poseetion. Will ye juist walk on a wee bit, and I’ll bide here and 
see whether ye can walk straight or no.” 
The Elder thus exhorted walked on a hundred paces or so, when 
the Minister again addressed him ? 
“Ye can turn back, Sandy, ye’re daein fine, but,” dropping his 
voice, “ wha’s that wi’ ye ? ” 
On the voyage home, when in the Red Sea before dawn on May 5, 
I had a lovely sight of Halley’s Comet, Venus, and the New Moon in 
conjunction, all close to the eastern horizon. 
On May 18, at 4 a.m., in the Bay of Biscay, the head of the 
Comet was below the horizon, but the tail, which was hazy and 
pointed at the end, appeared to be at least 2J° broad and extended at 
least 50°. I imagine it must have been very near to the earth. 
