Lewis. — Lepidoptera of Mount Ida. 187 



first specimen was taken at light while the snow was lying on 

 the ground. I have seen none after August, but its habits in 

 Canterbury appear to be different. Hybernated individuals 

 of Xanthorhoe semifissata begin to show up in September, and 

 with them the common Xanthorhoe bulbulata, which keeps on 

 in undiminished numbers until Christmas, and then takes a 

 back seat, though never disappearing. Xanthorhoe cineraria 

 appears in October and November; and a week's hot weather 

 in December is sure to bring out X. orophylla and Notoreas 

 brephos in force. Xanthorhoe clarata appears in February 

 (two months later than near the coast), and the last to show 

 themselves are Hybernia indocilis and Xanthorhoe semifissata, 

 both being attached to Discaria toumatou. 



But it is with the Noctuidce that the succession of species 

 is the most striking. Leucania acontistis, one of the earliest, 

 disappears completely after September, to be replaced by 

 swarms of Leucania griseijMJinis, which prevails through No- 

 vember, but after Christmas is no longer to be seen. Leucania 

 unica, propria, and Melanchra lithias hold the field each for a 

 short time during January and February, but are generally 

 extinguished after a night or two by M. mutans. 



Such species as Leucania nullifera (the yellow form), 

 L. atristriga, Melanchra composita, rubescens, phricias, and 

 ustistriga come to light only in singles, and Orthosia comma 

 occurs, but not commonly, throughout the summer. Amongst 

 the rarities taken were Miselia pessota and Bityla defigurata. 

 Of Heliolhis armigera, Plusia chalcites, and Agrotis ypsilon 

 not a single specimen was seen. 



The Coleoptcra, of the district are strongest in Otiorhyn- 

 chidce, the various species of wmich occur in plenty. With 

 the exception of tw T o large species of Inophlceus, none of the 

 kinds are represented in my collection by less than twenty 

 specimens. The species of the genus Nicceana are especially 

 abundant, living as a rule in the patch plants on the shingle 

 flats, and, as usual in a dominant genus, variation is rampant. 

 The sexes also differ considerably, so that the list of esta- 

 blished species must be severely revised. 



In striking contrast to the Dunedin district, from which 

 such a long list of Pterostichi have been recorded, only four 

 species have turned up, ovatellus and fultoni being the com- 

 monest. 



Our largest necrophagous beetle, Necrophilus prolongatus, 

 attends to the waste products of the rabbit trade. Although 

 only known from New Zealand, so far as I am aware, this 

 species, like Metriorhynchus and a few others, is so unlike the 

 general type of our fauna as to suggest naturalisation. 



