early as
long as the body, having two branches, with two small snags near their
bifurcation, so as to resemble the horns of a stag. They are black, with
the tips pale, while the body and legs are yellowish brown, and the eyes
(when alive) violet and green. The next species (Elaphomia wallacei) is
of a dark brown colour, banded and spotted with yellow. The horns
are about one-third the length of the insect, broad, flat, and of an
elongated triangular foam. They are of a beautiful pink colour, edged
with black, and with a pale central stripe. The front part of the head
is also pink, and the eyes violet pink, with a green stripe across them,
giving the insect a very elegant and singular appearance. The third
species (Elaphomia alcicornis, the elk-horned deer-fly) is a little
smaller than the two already described, but resembling in colour
Elaphomia wallacei. The horns are very remarkable, being suddenly
dilated into a flat plate, strongly toothed round the outer margin,
and strikingly resembling the horns of the elk, after which it has been
named. They are of a yellowish colour, margined with brown, and tipped
with black on the three upper teeth. The fourth species (Elaphomia
brevicornis, the short-horned deer-fly) differs considerably from the
rest. It is stouter in form, of a nearly black colour, with a yellow
ring at the base of the abdomen; the wings have dusky stripes, and the
head is compressed and dilated laterally, with very small flat horns;
which are black with a pale centre, and look exactly like the rudiment
of the horns of the two preceding species. None of the females have any
trace of the horns, and Mr. Saunders places in the same genus a species
which has no horns in either sex (Elaphomia polita). It is of a shining
black colour, and resembles Elaphomia cervicornis in form, size, and
general appearance. The figures above given represent these insects of
their natural size and in characteristic attitudes.

The natives seldom brought me anything. They are poor creatures, and,
rarely shoot a bird, pig, or kangaroo, or even the sluggish opossum-like
Cuscus. The tree-kangaroos are found here, but must be very scarce,
as my hunters, although out daily in the forest, never once saw them.
Cockatoos, lories, and parroquets were really the only common
birds. Even pigeons were scarce, and in little variety, although we
occasionally got the fine crown pigeon, which was always welcome as an
addition to our scantily furn