Buller. — On the Wetas. 145 



fully stuffed the insect and placed it in a small glass show-case 

 of his own construction, where it has remained hermetically 

 sealed ever since. It had perhaps a better chance than the 

 specimen in spirits of preserving its colours, and it is now as 

 fresh and bright as the day it was stuffed. I remember that 

 some years later, in riding through a strip of bush between 

 Mangakahia and Whangarei, I caught a pair of them on a 

 low tree, where they were apparently feeding on the young 

 leaves. Dismounting from my horse, I secured the two Wetas 

 in a pocket-handkerchief, and hung them up in a tree to await 

 my return a day or two later. On coming back, however, I 

 found that they had eaten their way out and made their escape. 



For many years this fine insect has been looked upon as 

 extinct, and it certainly is extremely rare ; but since my last 

 return from England I have been fortunate enough to secure 

 the large male specimen now on the table. I purchased it 

 from a dealer in Auckland, who told me he had procured it 

 from one of the small wooded islands in the Hauraki Gulf. 

 Formerly it was very abundant in all the woods at the far 

 north ; but I never heard of its being found south of the Wai- 

 kato district. The Maoris attribute its disappearance to the 

 introduced Norway rat. They distinguish it as the Wetapunga. 



In 1884 Mr. Colenso (pp. cit., vol. xvii., p. 155) added 

 another species, under the name of Deinacrida amiger, from 

 Wairoa, Hawke's Bay District, stating that it seemed allied to 

 H. mcgacephala. In 1886 he described (pp. cit., vol. xix., 

 p. 115) Hemideina longipes, from a specimen obtained in a 

 totara forest at Norsewood, in the County of Waipawa. 

 Finally, in 1888, he described, under the name of Hemideina 

 nitens, " a peculiar species, differing from other described ones 

 in its general very dark colour, extreme glossiness," &c. 



It will be seen, therefore, that Mr. Colenso has added no 

 less than five species to the list. I have not bad an oppor- 

 tunity of examining any of his types, and cannot therefore 

 express any opinion as to the value of his specific characters. 

 After a careful study, however, of his descriptions, I am satis- 

 fied that none of them apply to the fine insect which I have 

 the pleasure of exhibiting to-night, and for the loan of which 

 I am indebted to Mr. Teutenberg, of Auckland. He informed 

 me that he obtained it at Coromandel, but he could give me 

 no particulars respecting it. Judging by its character, I 

 should say it is an inhabitant of caves or overhanging rocks. 



Genus Macropathus, Walker. 

 Group 4. 

 Macropathus maximus, sp. nov. 



Male. — Body stout, convex, smooth, not shining. General 

 colour rich tawny-brown, darker on the joints, and deepening 



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