Buller. — On some Rare Species of Lepidoptera. 331 



lowed by a narrow band of pale-greyish, almost white in some 

 examples ; a broad band of brown from |- of costa to tornus r 

 posteriorly waved and followed by a waved pale line ; cilia 

 long, brownish-pink. Hind wings long, narrow, pale-yellow ; a 

 terminal series of indistinct linear brownish spots ; cilia pink. 



Apparently allied to the clarata group, but not closely ap- 

 proaching any species. 



Received from Mr. J. H. Lewis, Ida Valley. Mr. George 

 Howes has also met with it near Dunedin. 



Art. XXIX. — Notes on the Occurrence of some Rare Species of 



Lepidoptera. 



By A. P. Buller, F.E.S. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 6th July, 1904.] 

 Dodonidia helmsii, Butler. 



It will, I feel sure, be of interest to entomologists to hear that 

 this beautiful butterfly appears to be on the increase. In Febru- 

 ary of 1903 Mr. H. W. Simmonds, of Wellington, took fifteen 

 specimens on the birch-clad range above Silverstream, and saw 

 some twenty-five or thirty on the wing. He tells me that it is a 

 strong flier, and is very evasive of capture. It appeared to be 

 very local in its habitat, and frequented for the most part the 

 outskirts of a small patch of birch forest on the very ridge of the 

 hill. Mr. Simmonds found it impossible to pursue it through 

 the fern and scrub, but by posting himself at the opening of a 

 glade in the bush he netted most of his specimens as they flew in, 

 to seek, apparently, the shade. In February of the present year 

 he again visited the same locality, but this time was less fortunate, 

 for since the previous season the patch of bush that had been so 

 productive had been partly destroyed by fire, and though he saw 

 a few he was unable to capture any. To some extent this might 

 have been accounted for by the fact of its being dull, cold weather 

 and a little late in the month. He met with one on the low 

 ground at the foot of the range, but with this exception they 

 appeared to keep to the high level. I took one at the latter end 

 of the same month at Lake Papaitonga, Ohau (Manawatu), on 

 the flowers of the white Escallonia. It is the only occasion I 

 have seen it on the wing, and I was much struck by its beauty as 

 it hovered over the blossoms. 



In passing, I would strongly recommend collectors to plant 

 a few trees of the Escallonia (Escallonia montevidensis) in their 

 gardens, as it possesses a singular attraction for insects of all 

 kinds. This tree in particular, and which I had planted for the 



