190 Transactions. — Zoology. 



also. When full fed they measure about l^in. in length. 

 I found a caterpillar of this length under the same log with 

 one of about J in. in length. The small one died without 

 pupating. 



When about to pupate the caterpillar spins for itself a 

 brown cocoon, into which it works its own hairs in a wonder- 

 ful manner. The larval skin remains firmly attached to the 

 extremity of the chrysalis. The chrysalis is jet black, and is 

 incapable of movement. The head is very stout and blunted 

 at the top, and the abdomen bends in slightly, so that the 

 pupa has a curious curved appearance. 



The moths emerged during the night or early in the morn- 

 ing, and in the case of the males had their wings dried by the 

 evening. They were never restless, even when I kept them in 

 the breeding-cage for several days. Of those I reared I only 

 remember to have seen one flying. 



When looking for pupae in the bush I saw two moths 

 flying, which I identified as M. strategica, but I could not 

 catch them. Their flight was very swift, about 7 ft. from the 

 ground, and greatly resembles that of the humble-bee. 



The specimen figured by Mr. Hudson in his " New Zea- 

 land Moths and Butterflies " seems to be larger and more 

 brilliant than those I have, but the markings in one of mine 

 are somewhat similar. The female moth is wingless and of 

 a dull-grey colour. The legs are exceedingly weak, and the 

 moth can only crawl along very slowly by their aid. The 

 female moth is very weak, and several of those I have reared 

 never properly emerged from the pupae, having pieces of it ad- 

 hering to them. Two of them never left the cocoon, appa- 

 rently lacking the strength to force their way out. 



The larvae I collected were free from ichneumons, but 

 when collecting in the bush from which I had taken them I 

 found a cocoon containing the fragments of a pupa, and by 

 the side of these two ichneumon chrysalises from which the 

 imagines had emerged. 



