Hamilton. — Vegetable Caterpillar of New Zealand. 209 



to fresh specimens. In specimens kept for some time the male 

 is, as he describes, pale whitish-grey, with the median band of 

 the fore wings more or less distinctly outlined with black, espe- 

 cially opposite the cell ; while the female is ochreous or of a 

 pale sandy colour, with faint traces of the usual markings. 



But in quite fresh specimens the insects are much more 

 ornamental. The male is darker than above described, usually 

 of a rosy or warm-tinted grey as ground colour in the forewings. 

 The outer side of the basal patch and both sides of the median 

 band are edged with a greenish -yellow line, showing distinctly 

 on the unfaded ground-colour. The fringes are also rosy-grey. 

 Mr. Meyrick states that the male is very constant in colour and 

 the female variable ; but the reverse is rather the case, faulty 

 specimens having led to this misstatement, for the female suffers 

 most when preserved in a cabinet. The true colour of the fore- 

 wings of the female is dull yellowish -green ; but the common 

 methods of killing — for instance, by bruised laurel leaves- 

 destroy the colouring of green moths. Collectors may note this 

 caution against exposing fine green moths to the fumes of 

 prussic acid. By lantern light the female seems to be of a 

 glaucous or peculiar blueish green, which serves at once to dis- 

 tinguish it. The green colour of the female seems dingy and 

 faded if placed beside the rich green of Cidaria similata, but if 

 compared with the dull greys of allied Geometrina it seems pecu- 

 liar and noticeable. The ordinary markings are not very distinct 

 in the female. The hindwiugs are often a dull blackish-grey. 

 The yellowish colour ascribed to the female is merely the 

 common colour of faded green moths. The two sexes are more 

 dissimilar in their fresh state than when faded ; and the green 

 colour of the female may serve as a very efficient protection 

 whilst among foliage. 



Art. XL. — Notes on the so-called "Vegetable Caterpillar" of 



New Zealand. 



By A. Hamilton, of Petane. 



[Bead before the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, 1885.] 



Among the many curious and interesting objects of natural 

 history which have been made known by the collections of the 

 early travellers and voyagers to our Southern seas, very few 

 surpass in general interest the subjects of these notes. The 

 evident vegetable nature of the one part, and the simulacrum 

 of the perfect caterpillar of the other part, presented a biological 

 riddle of the deepest interest, and one which we are yet very far 

 from having solved fully. 



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