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76 NEW ZEALAND MACBO-LEPIDOPTEBA. 



The perfect insect appears from December to March. It is very active, and is 

 extremely fond of settling on roads or bare ground in the hot sunshine, instantly 

 darting away on the approach of an enemy. It is also common on the mountains, and 

 is often found at elevations of from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the sea-level. 



NOTOBEAS OMICHLIAS, Meyr. 

 (Pasithea omichlias, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 90. Notorcas omichlias, ib. xviii. 184.) 

 (Plate VIII., fig. 25.) 

 Two specimens of this dull-looking little species were captured at Castle Hill, by Mr. 

 J. D. Enys. 



The expansion of the wings is § inch. All the wings are dark grey ; the fore-wings have several 

 obscure blackish marks near the base, a dull black spot on the casta at about one-third with a yellowish 

 centre ; beyond this there are four similar spots forming a transverse band, and several more or less 

 conspicuous wavy blackish lines near the termen. The hind-wings have several obscure wavy blackish 

 transverse lines near the base and dorsum ; the cilia are pale grey, obscurely barred with darker grey. 

 The perfect insect was taken " high up " on the mountains, probably at an elevation 

 of about 5,000 feet. 



This species is probably often overlooked through being mistaken for XantJwrhoe 

 cinerearia. 



Genus 15.— SAMANA, Walk. 



" Face loosely haired. Palpi long, straight, porrected, attenuated. Antennae in male dentate, 

 ciliated (1). Fore-wings with vein rising below 9, 7 from below angle of areole, 10 anasto- 

 mosing strongly with 9, 11 anastomosing strongly with 10, 12 free. Hind-wings normal." — 

 (Meyrick.) 



Of this genus we have two species in New Zealand. 



SAMANA FALCATELLA, Walk. 



(Samaiw falcatella., Walk, xxvii. 197. Panagra falcatella, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 93. Samana 



falcatella, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvii. 65.) 



(Plate VIII. , fig. 36.) 



This unusual-looking species has occurred in the South Island, at Nelson and 



at Dunedin. 



The expansion of the wings is 1^ inches. The fore-wings are very pale ochreous, speckled 

 with grey; there is a very fine longitudinal black streak from a little beyond the base to considerably 

 before the middle, slightly clouded above ; an elongate dot above the middle ; a very oblique slightly 

 curved black streak from near the apex to the middle of the dorsum, edged with white towards 

 the base, and clouded with brown towards the termen ; the apex of the wing is very acute. The 

 hind-wings are white, with a black dot above the middle. 



The perfect insect appears in February. It is apparently a rare species. 



SAMANA ACUTATA, Butl. 

 (Samana acutata, Butl., P. Z. S. L. 1877, 401; Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvii. 67.) 

 The type-specimen of this species exists in the collection of the British Museum. 

 According to Mr. Meyrick, who made a cursory examination of it, the species differs 

 from S. falcatella in the following respects : — 



The first dark line runs from the dorsum near the base to below the costa before the 

 middle ; the lower extremity of the second line is connected with the tornus by an oblique 

 streak. 



