80 Transactions. 



at the micropylar end, and Shortly after the egg gets mottled and striped 

 with black. At this stage the larva can be seen making slight movements 

 within the. shell. Infertile eggs turn yellow, and collapse. 



Note. — Laid singly in crannies. Well attached to object. Fifty-one 

 and forty-three eggs obtained from different moths. Laid in October, 

 November, and December. Period of incubation, about thirteen days. 

 Larva emerge micropylar end. 



(Described, 15th October, 1912.) 



Venusia verriculata Feld. 



Cidaria verriculata Feld., Reise der Nov., 5, pi. cxxxi, fig. 20. Phiba- 

 lapteryx verriculata Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1877, p. 396. 

 Panopoea verriculata Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., 16, p. 62. Paneyma 

 verriculata Fereday, List. N.Z. Lep., Trans. N.Z. Inst., 30, p. 338. 

 Venusia verriculata Hudson, N.Z. Moths and Butterflies, p. 53, 

 pi. 6, figs. 30, 31. 



This beautiful species is very plentiful at Wanganui. 



Ovum. 



Class.— Flat. 



Shape. — Oval. Much flattened on top and bottom surfaces, though 

 slightly convex ; sides much bulged. Micropylar end slightly broader 

 than its nadir. 



Dimensions. — Length, 0-75 -0-79 mm. ; width, 0-58 mm. ; height, 

 044 mm. 



Sculpture. — -The reticulations form a network of irregular hexagonal 

 and pentagonal cells about 0-04 mm. diameter, but around the micropyle 

 the sculpturing is very confused and indistinct. 



Micropyle. — Situated in a rosette of about ten elongated cells ; surrounded 

 by a band of small hexagonal cells. Diameter of rosette, about 0-08 mm. 



Shell. — Strong ; shiny ; transparent ; larva plainly seen a day or so 

 before hatching. 



Colour. — Bright green when first laid. In a few days they change to a 

 red-brown with green areas, which later resolves into large irregular areas 

 of red-brown and green. The margins of the areas are quite distinct, the 

 colours not blending into each other. The red-brown areas now gradually 

 increase in size, and get a brilliant red. A day or so before hatching a 

 large brown area (the caput) appears at the micropylar end, and soon splits 

 up into seven small brown areas ; the red colouring collects at the base, 

 leaving the rest of the egg a brownish-red. This egg makes a most beautiful 

 object for the low-power microscope. 



Note. — Laid end to end in batches in neat parallel rows. The numbers 

 of eggs in different batches differ greatly, some moths laying all their eggs 

 in one batch, others in several small batches, and others again lay their 

 eggs singly- Two hundred eggs were obtained from one moth. The eggs 

 are firmly cemented to food plant, but not to each other. In about a week 

 after being laid the top of the egg collapses a great deal, forming fairly deep 

 oval depressions. Laid in April and October. Period of incubation, about 

 fifteen days. 



(Described, 21st April, 1912.) 



