the paddocks, were about half a mile in width, and would average about twenty full-grown caterpillars to the square foot; when resting in the middle of the day they were much more compact. They were all of the same dull green colour striped along the sides, but every now and then could be noticed an odd specimen almost jet black. By the end of March they were nearly all full grown, and had practically disappeared, having crawled into the earth to pupate; those fed in the office always going to the bottom of the jar through 4 or 5 inches of soil to undergo their transformation. After they had all vanished, a great many clusters of little white silken cocoons spun by ichneumon wasp larvæ, that had destroyed the caterpillars before they reached the pupal stage, were to be noticed attached to the blades of grass along their line of march. Several correspondents forwarded boxes of these little cocoons, under the idea that they were " caterpillar eggs" or "spawn," which would produce a fresh crop of caterpillars in a short time; other persons burnt these cocoon clusters under the same misapprehension, little knowing that they contained some of their best friends, for from every cluster would emerge hundreds of active little wasps ready to deposit their eggs upon the first caterpillars they encountered. Last week, Mr. H. W. Williams, Swan Bay, Richmond River, sent me a number of "flies" he had captured hovering over the ground previously in possession of these caterpillars, and asked if they had any connection with them. These flies, turned out to be red spotted ichneumon wasps (Rhyssia semipunctata) which had evidently emerged from the pupa of the caterpillars, upon which they had fed and pupated after the caterpillars had entered the soil. As many of the moths belonging to this family (Noctuidae) popularly known as cut worms" are known to lay over 1,000 eggs, it is not surprising that the caterpillars suddenly appear, as the dull-coloured moths hide during the day among the leaves and litter on the ground, and it is not until the also dull-coloured caterpillars have grown to a moderate size that they are noticeable. 2 Larva.-About 1 inches in length, smooth, and of a uniform thickness from behind the head to tip of the body. General colour of the back and sides olive-brown to rich black, with a faintly outlined pattern down the centre of the broad black stripe, occupying the whole of the dorsal surface, while the sides are distinctly marked with fine slender parallel yellow lines, the central one thickest and dotted beneath. The under surface is light olive-green, with the legs ochreous. The head is smooth, shining, and lobed on the sides, slightly smaller than the body, with an angular mark in the centre, and short white antennæ. They are very active creatures, crawling about quickly, and when feeding, climb up the stalk of the grass or oats to eat off the soft green leaves. They grow very rapidly, and probably do not take more than three to four weeks to reach the mature stage from the time of hatching from the eggs. Most of the specimens kept in the breeding-cages had reached maturity and were pupating in the soil on the 30th of March. 1 4 4 Pupa.-Dark shining brown, length about of an inch, diameter at the broadest point under of an inch. Broadly rounded at the head, tapering to the tip of the body, the dorsal surface showing fine punctures along the upper edge of the abdominal segments, and the anal segment terminating in a pair of fine spine-like spurs curving backwards. The eyes large and glassy, with the enfolded legs and antennæ forming a broad pear-shaped mark in front; the wing covers distinctly ribbed, and the abdominal spiracles very prominent. All the specimens sent in to the office fed readily in captivity, crawling under the soil when full grown, and generally forming a rough chamber in which to pupate. The first moths emerged about three weeks after pupating. The Moth.-Expanse of wings, 16 lines; length of body, 71⁄2 lines. head, thorax, and fore wings covered with dark brown to almost black scales indistinctly mottled with brownish-yellow ones, with a fine fringe of long scales of the latter colour round the outer margins of the wings. In some specimens (for the colouration is rather variable in this species) there is an indistinct pattern of silvery-grey scales upon the wings, and in this case the outer edges are much more finely edged with slender silvery scales, forming slender hair-like down beside the body. The hind wings silvery, semi-transparent, with the main nervures very distinctly outlined in brown, and the outer margin clouded with the same dark tint. The mouth deep yellow, above rich chestnut; antennæ dark brown, with silvery reflections; eyes large, black, curiously marked with irregular silvery lines. Legs blackishbrown, with the base of each tarsus silvery-white. The body is thickly covered with downy scales, lightest on the under surface, and is rounded at the extremity. Remedies. When these caterpillars are on grass land it would be very easy to destroy a large percentage of them by dragging a brush harrow over the infested grass. When in a cultivation paddock, if the crop is not too high, a roller would have a similar effect. To protect a crop it would not be a very difficult or expensive matter to water a broad strip inside the fence with Paris green solution, and thus poison them. A Contribution towards a Flora of Mount Kosciusko. By J. H. MAIDEN, Government Botanist and Director of the Botanic Gardens, Sydney. Introductory. Mount Kosciusko is the highest mountain in Australia, being 7,328* feet above the level of the sea. It is reached by train to Cooma (265 miles), thence by coach to Jindabyne, on the Snowy River (34 miles), which is the starting-point whence ascents are made to the summit, nearly 30 miles further on. The coach drive from Cooma to Jindabyne was rather dusty, which detracted somewhat from the pleasing scenery, but we had two glorious experiences by way of compensation-one, the magnificent view of the valley of the Snowy, with ranges in the distance, as we descend into Jindabyne (the view reminding one at once of Piguenit's beautiful canvases); the other, a dip in the Snowy, cold even at midsummer, and the means of promptly transforming us from tired, travel-stained wayfarers into vigorous athletes, ready to ascend Kosciusko at a moment's notice. A good deal has been written in regard to "How to get to Mount Kosciusko." I may remind inquirers of the admirable articles in the Daily Telegraph of 18th December, 1897, entitled "Kosciusko and the Caves; how to go and what to take," and also one on Christmas Day last, by the Rev. J. Milne Curran, entitled "The Roof of Australia," written, of course, mainly from the geological point of view. Then we have an article, full of information, in the Sydney Morning Herald of 15th January last, entitled "Christmas on Kosciusko," over initials thinly veiling the identity of "R.R.G., and the pamphlet published by the Railway Commissioners, entitled "The Snowy Mountains, and Mount Kosciusko." There is consequently no necessity for me to add to the literature in this direction. The traveller cannot do better than put himself in the hands of the Tourist Agency, Sydney. In the unlikely contingency of additional information being required, I will supply it if I can. I intend to touch very lightly upon topographical detail; I would advise my readers to peruse Mr. Helms' account of the ascent (see * Mr. Ingleby informed me that he believed that this will be found to be below the real height. In the Lands Department "Map of the South-eastern portion of New South Wales, showing the position of Kiandra" (1860, reproduced by photo-lithography in 1881), we have the following spellings of places referred to by me in this paper: Mount Kosciuszko, 7,300 ft.; Cracembac River; Jinderboine (a mountain after which the present township is named). In the sketch map of the county of Wallace (Lands Department), 1888, the height of Mount Kosciusko is given at 7,260 ft. page 725). I have given a few notes on important places by the way, and would suggest that it would be desirable to have "heightposts" along the track for the information of tourists. If mile-posts be erected at any future date, perhaps the approximate height above sea-level could be stated on each post. Distances from Jindabyne. Some of these distances are liable to revision, as the guides differed in regard to them : Quartz Ridge Bee-tree Flat (so named after a bees' nest in a snow-gum (Eucalyptus coriacea) which was here for many years) Wilson's Valley (after a man who camped here for many years) ... Pretty Point (so called because of the glorious view from here)..... A scrubby sidling, then Prussian Flat ... ... ... ... 11/1/ 12 121/1 13 14 141/ 15/1/0 17/1/ 18 19 ... ... Porcupine Mountain (a rugged ridge which forms a very prominent feature in the landscape; there is a trigonometrical station here) Betts' Camp (so called after Mr. Betts, who surveyed the mountain about fifteen years ago) Spencer's Camp (a camp formed by Spencer Brothers for conveniently working the tourist traffic and looking after the snow leases. We were informed that it had been re-christened Duff's Camp, in honor of Admiral Bridge's Flag-Lieutenant, who visited Mount Kosciusko last Christmas.) Our party camped here Burnt Yard Camp (there are no trees past this) Rose's Camp and Kangaroo Ridge (so called from a rock which presents a startling resemblance to a kangaroo in the act of looking over his left shoulder) Head of Snowy River The Echo Rock (100 feet high). I believe the proper vernacular name is "Dead-horse Ridge" Cootapatamba Gap-Ascent to the highest peak of Mount Kosciusko (most authorities to whom I have spoken believe this distance is understated)... 28 The grass land on the mountain approaching the summit is leased annually to graziers, to whom are granted what are called "snowleases." Above the tree-line one observes in conspicuous positions vertical white posts 4 or 5 feet high. These indicate the leases, which extend so many miles or chains from the posts. Fences are unknown. The grasses are nutritious, and are chiefly used for sheep and for the mountain horses, without which man would be unable to tend sheep or pursue any occupation in these lonely regions. Sheep cannot usually be brought up the mountain much before Christmas, and the weather generally becomes too severe for them before the end of March, so that the lessees have, as a rule, only about three months' grazing. Even during this short period the weather is frequently severe, and sometimes dangerously so. For example, on the 27th January, 1897 (in midsummer, be it remarked), at nearly 2,000 feet below the summit, a blizzard destroyed every animal out of a flock of |