14 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
foliar proliferation of the inflorescence in Asters and in 
Chlorophytum elatum var variegatum; Mr. A. A. Hamil- 
ton, a series of herbarium specimens, with notes thereon; 
Mr. T. Steel, coccid and gall, Apionorpha (Brachyscelis) 
variabilis, from Beecroft, also apples eaten by ant I ridomyr- 
mex detectus), the fleshy mesocarp, seeds, vascular system, 
and all soft parts having been neatly scooped out, leaving 
only the tough endocarp and the thin outer rind, the latter 
being like a light hollow ball, which was rolled over the 
surface of the soil by the wind. 
NOTES ON THE HABITS OF TEARA CONTRARIA. 
By C. H. Wickham. 
The larvae live in communities of 300 or more in a 
web at the base of the food-plant (Acacia longifolia). 
They rest by day, climbing up at night to feed. When 
the tree is denuded of leaves, the colony starts out for 
another tree. Forming a single line, they proceed on their 
way, each caterpillar keeping in exact toueh with that in 
front. While on the march, if one is removed from any- 
where in the line, the remainder stop, and the one im- 
mediately in front of the vacant space begins feeling about 
with its tail for the displaced comrade. It will stretch 
itself to the utmost in so doing, but is careful not to lose 
touch of the individual in front. Meanwhile, the displaced 
caterpillar endeavours to find its lost position, and, if not 
moved more than a few inches, will quickly do so. But ° 
if it be taken away altogether, the individual to the rear 
of the gap will close up, those behind it keeping place, and 
as soon as it touches the one in front, a signal seems to 
pass almost instantaneously to the leader, who immedi- 
ately starts to march again. I had some 40 of these in- 
teresting caterpillars in a glass tank, and one afternoon 
they started a march. They proceeded in a very orderly 
manner, there being no struggling for precedence, and, as 
is usually the case, a rather large individual acted as 
leader, while on this occasion the rear was brought up by 
a small, weakly one. During the afternoon, they got in- 
to a circle, and in this form, travelled round and round 
tor 41% hours. One of the larger individuals -(not the 
leader) then broke away, and doubling on his tracks, went 
down the line until he had passed about six of his fellows. 
The whole line then stopped for a few seconds, and then 
began waving their heads quickly in jerks from side to 
