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the base; the orbicular is oval, oblique, brownish-yellow, slightly darker in the middle; the claviform is almost obsolete; the reniform is rather large, bordered with dull white towards the base and termen; beyond the reniform there is a very distinct wavy transverse line; another line is situated near the termen emitting several black wedge-shaped markings from its inner edge. The hind-wings are shining white and iridescent, with the veins black and the costa and termen narrowly shaded with black.

      Described and figured from specimens in Mr. Hawthorne's collection.

      

      ORTHOSIA COMMA, Walk.

      (Mamestra comma, Walk., Noct. 239; Butl., Voy. Ereb., pl. ix., 6. Graphiphora implexa, Walk., Noct. 405. Hadena plusiata, ib., Suppl. 742; Nitocris bicomma, Gn., Ent. Mon. Mag. v., 4. Orthosia comma, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 30.)

      (Plate V., fig. 27 ♂, 28 ♀; Plate III., fig. 11, larva.)

      This is apparently a common and generally distributed species. It has occurred plentifully at Wellington, Blenheim, Christchurch, and Rakaia.

      The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings are dark grey crossed by four wavy, black-margined, transverse lines; beyond the outermost of these lines there is a black band running parallel with the termen, and beyond this again a broader band of the ground colour; the orbicular spot is very minute and dull white; the reniform, which is surrounded by a black shading, is large, yellow towards the costa, and white towards the termen. The hind-wings are dark grey. The females are generally much darker than the males, some specimens having the fore-wings very dark brownish-black.

      Both sexes vary a good deal in the depth of colouring, but the markings appear to be quite constant.

      The larva is dark brown, tinged with pink; the subdorsal region is paler, there are a series of diagonal blackish stripes on each segment, and the anterior portions of the larva are much darker than the rest of the body.

      The specimens I reared were fed on lettuce, but I expect that the caterpillar feeds on low plants generally. It is full grown about January. The pupa state is spent in the earth.

      The moth appears in January, February, and March. It is very common at the flowers of the white rata, and may also be attracted by sugar and by light.

      ORTHOSIA IMMUNIS, Walk.

      (Tæniocampa immunis, Walk., Noct. 430. Cerastis innocua, ib. 1710 (locality probably erroneous). Agrotis acetina, Feld., Reis. Nov. pl. cix. 6. Orthosia immunis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 30.)

      (Plate V., fig. 29.)

      This species has occurred at Wellington in the North Island, and at Blenheim in the South Island.

      The expansion of the wings is 1⅜ inches. The fore-wings vary from bright orange-brown to dull reddish-brown; there is an obscure black dot near the base, a faint transverse line at about one-fourth; the orbicular is oval, faintly outlined in brown; the claviform is very faint, its position indicated by a small brown dot; the reniform is large, oblong, much indented towards the termen, doubly outlined with dull yellow and containing a blackish spot towards its lower edge, its posterior margin is shaded with dark brown; there are several faint, wavy, transverse lines near the termen, and the termen itself is shaded with brownish-black; the cilia are reddish-brown. The hind-wings are dull grey; the cilia are pale reddish-ochreous tipped with white. The head is covered with scattered white scales, the thorax is reddish-brown, and the abdomen is grey tipped with reddish-brown; the upper joints of the tarsi of the anterior legs are white.

      The perfect insect appears in January, February, and March. It frequents the blossoms of the white rata, where it occasionally may be taken in the daytime, but more frequently at night. It is not, however, a common species.

      Genus 3.—XANTHIA, Tr.

      "Antennæ in male filiform, moderately ciliated. Thorax with sharp compressed anterior and small posterior crest. Abdomen not crested."—(Meyrick.)

      Only one New Zealand species is known at present.

      

      XANTHIA PURPUREA, Butl.

      (Graphiphora purpurea, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. Xanthia ceramodes, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 31. X. purpurea, ib. xx. 46.)

      (Plate V., fig. 32.)

      This handsome species has been found at Wellington in the North Island, and at Dunedin in the South Island.

      The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings are rich, glossy reddish-brown with several scattered whitish scales; there is a distinct yellow mark on the costa at about one-fourth, forming the beginning of a broken transverse line; the orbicular is small, round, and yellowish; the reniform is small, crescentic and yellowish, the space between the orbicular and the reniform is very dark blackish-brown; beyond the reniform there is a conspicuous white mark on the costa forming the beginning of a second broken transverse line; a third shaded line is situated near the termen. The hind-wings are pale brown with a dark spot in the middle, very conspicuous on the under surface.

      The perfect insect appears from September till April. It is usually taken at sugar or light, but is not a very common species.

Sub-family 2.—MELANCHRIDES.

       Table of Contents

      Eyes hairy.

      Genus 4.—PHYSETICA, Meyr.

      "Palpi with terminal joint in male greatly swollen, as broad as second, rather short, rounded, with an orifice in outer side, in female normal. Antennæ in male filiform, simple. Thorax and abdomen smooth."—(Meyrick.) (Plate II., fig. 8.)

      PHYSETICA CÆRULEA, Gn.

      (Agrotis cærulea, Gn., Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 38. Physetica cærulea, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 5.)

      (Plate IV., fig. 7.)

      This fine species has occurred at Wellington in the North Island, and at Blenheim and Rakaia in the South Island.

      The expansion of the wings is 1⅝ inches. The fore-wings are slaty-blue; there is an obscure, wavy, whitish transverse line near the base, two very wavy blackish lines at about one-third, a dark transverse shaded line across the middle, containing the orbicular spot, then a very wavy line followed by a darker space and a wavy, dull, whitish terminal line. Hind-wings dark grey, paler near the base, cilia shining white.

      The perfect insect appears in October, December, and January. Mr. Fereday states that it was formerly very common at blossoms.

      Genus 5.—LEUCANIA, Ochs.

      "Head rough-scaled; eyes hairy. Antennæ in male ciliated. Thorax with or without slight anterior crest. Abdomen not crested.

      "A very large cosmopolitan genus, equally common everywhere; it is a development of Melanchra, to which some of the New Zealand species give such a complete transition that a line of demarcation can hardly be drawn. The larvæ all feed on Gramineæ."—(Meyrick.)

      We have seventeen species.

      

      LEUCANIA GRISEIPENNIS, Feld.

      (Mamestra griseipennis, Feld., pl. cix. 22. Chera virescens, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 489. Spælotis inconstans, ib. 545; Leucania moderata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 7 (nec Walk.). Leucania griseipennis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xx. 44.)

      (Plate IV., fig. 8.)

      This species has occurred at Wellington in the North Island. In the South Island it has

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