Transactions. — Zoology. 



correction of the synonymy of the known species ; (2) the 

 omission of names which have been erroneously included in 

 our', fauna ; and (3) the description of the new species which 

 are in the collection of the Canterbury Museum. 



The omission of species which have been placed erroneously 

 on our list is a difficult task, for some insects are so local and 

 so irregular in their appearance that they may escape a second 

 capture for a long time. Nevertheless, it is necessary that the 

 work should be attempted, and I have therefore omitted all 

 those species which I do not believe were ever taken in New 

 Zealand. Most of these omitted species were originally stated 

 to have been found near Auckland during the short stay there 

 of the Austrian frigate "Novara" in 1859, but have never been 

 found since. Several of these are now known to occur in other 

 countries. In these cases there can be no doubt but thev 

 have been put down to New Zealand in error, and this makes 

 it probable that there may be other mistakes which have not 

 yet been found out. Indeed, the localities of the insects given 

 in the "Voyage of the 'Novara' ' must always be looked 

 upon with suspicion until confirmed by some other collector. 

 I have seen no description of Paramenia semiauriceps, Brauer 

 and Bergenstamm (Denk. Akad. Wissen. Wien, vol. 56 

 (1890), p. 171) ; but as it belongs to a family (Dexidce) which, 

 to the best of my knowledge, does not occur in New Zealand 

 I have omitted it also. 



I have to thank Captain T. Broun for sending me a col- 

 lection from the Auckland District, Mr. G. V. Hudson for 

 one from Wellington and Nelson, and Mr. W. W. Smith for 

 a collection made at Ashburton, in Canterbury. By these 

 means the Museum now contains most of the described 

 species. Those that are still unknown to me are mentioned 

 in the text. I have included the introduced species as well 

 as the natives, partly because collectors might be puzzled by 

 them if descriptions were not given, and partly as a record 

 of what species- have been introduced and when they were 

 first recorded, if that is known. 



This list includes 191 species, of which six are doubtful 

 inhabitants/" but which I retain for the present. Of the re- 

 maining 185, ten or eleven have been introduced from Europe, 

 and three probably from Australia or the islands, thus leav- 

 ing 171 or 172 native species. Of course, many more remain 

 to be discovered. The most remarkable species are Exsul 

 singularis and Cerosomyia usitata. Unfoi*tunately, I have only 

 a single specimen of each, but I could not pass them over on 

 that account. 



* These are Odontomyia cmstraliensis, Clitellaria aberrant, MiUbia 

 bilineata, Sciomyza nigricornis, Sapromyza sciomyzina, and S. decora. 



