332 Tram- actions. — Zoology. 



purpose, seems, when in flower, to be the " Mecca " of the insect 

 world in the neighbourhood. Throughout the day it is alive 

 with Vanessa gonerilla, Chrysophanus salustius, C. enysii, Lyccena 

 phnebe, Nyctemera annulata, and many varieties of Diptera ; at 

 dusk it furnishes a harvest of Noctuce. It comes into blossom 

 about February and flowers freely till the end of March ; it grows 

 readily, and is of hardy habit. 



Of the seven specimens of Dodonidia in my collection, four 

 were taken by Mr. Simmonds at Silverstream, one was taken on 

 the Wainuiomata Range, one at Papaitonga, and another on the 

 high lands in the Marlborough District. 



Chserocampa celerio, Linn. 



I think this will be the first record of the appearance of this 

 handsome moth in New Zealand, and it will, I hope, take its place 

 in our list of Sphingida?, at present only represented by S. con- 

 volvuli. In March of the present year Mr. Creagh O'Connor 

 took two very fine specimens at Titahi Bay (about fourteen miles 

 from Wellington), and during the same month saw some ten or 

 twelve others there. The two he netted were taken at dusk 

 while feeding at the sweet-scented Christmas lily ; they appeared 

 to affect garden flowers generally, but were difficult to capture, 

 being very active on the wing, and when once alarmed would 

 not return. 



Mr. G. V. Hudson tells me that he has recently received a 

 specimen from Nelson. Noting the fact that it has appeared 

 at two places on the West Coast, it is not unlikely to be an Aus- 

 tralian species brought over to New Zealand by westerly winds, 

 in view of the fact that the hawk-moth family are possessed of 

 sustained powers of flight ; indeed, I might mention that I have 

 in my collection a fine Sphinx that flew on board the R.M.S. 

 " Ruahine " when the vessel was some five hundred miles off 

 the coast of South America. It is to be hoped that this species 

 will become established here, for with its bars of gold on the 

 thorax, its silver-striped upper wings, and the delicacy of its 

 pink underwings, it will certainly be a very handsome addition 

 to our list. 



Sphinx convolvuli, Linn. 



To the best of my knowledge, this species has so far been con- 

 fined principally to the Auckland District, where I have taken it 

 freely at the blossoms of the evening-primrose and trumpet- 

 flower, but it appears now to be having a wider range. Five 

 specimens were brought to me at the end of this summer, all 

 taken in Wellington and its environs. Mr. O'Connor has also 

 taken it, and I learn, too, that it has been seen freely in Nelson, 

 and also at Ashburton (Canterbury). 



