II.— THE NOTODONTIX.t. 73 



The expansion of the wings is about f inch. The fore-wings are dark brownish-black, with five 

 transverse white or orange-yellow lines, which vary considerably both in width and colour in different 

 specimens ; the two basal lines are almost straight, the rest are wavy, the last but one has, near the 

 middle, a strong projection towards the ternien. The hiyid-wings are bright orange, with three or four 

 mure or less broken black transverse lines. The ternien is narrowly bordered with black; the cilia of 

 all the wings are white, more or less distinctly barred with blackish-brown. 



The perfect insect appears in February, March and April, flying very actively in the 

 hot afternoon sunshine. It is extremely abundant on the coast hills in the neighbour- 

 hood of Wellington. It also occurs commonly at Kekerangu, and is occasionally found 

 on mountains as high as from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the sea-level. I have observed 

 that all the Wellington specimens have the transverse lines on the fore-wings narrow and 

 mostly white ; those from Mount Arthur broad and white, those from Kekerangu and 

 Lake Wakatipu broad and orange-yellow. The last-named forms approximate most 

 closely to some of the very yellow varieties of Notoreas paradelpJia* 



NOTOEEAS STEATEC4ICA, Meyr. 



(Pasithea strategica, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 87. Notoreas strategica, ib. xviii. 184.) 



(Elate VIII., tig. 15.) 



A single specimen of this conspicuous species was taken in the South Island at Lake 

 Guyon, by Mr. W. T. L. Travers. 



The expansion of the wings is 1^ inches. The fore-wings are dull yellowish-brown, becoming 

 blackish-brown near the base; there are two broad white transverse lines near the base, the outermost 

 slightly curved, then a dull orange shading , followed by a very broad, outwardly bent, white transverse 

 band, edged witli black towards the base : between this band and the ternien there is a fine wavy white 

 transverse line. The hind-wings are dull yellowish-brown near the base, becoming blackish towards the 

 ternien ; there is a small cream-coloured area near the base, then two rather broad, slightly irregular. 

 cream-coloured bands, and a rather fine wavy white line near the ternien. The cilia of all the wings are 

 white, barred with blackish-brown. 



The perfect insect appears in January. 



Described and figured from the type specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection. 



NOTOREAS CALLICRENA, Meyr. 



(Pasithea. callierena Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 87. Notoreas callicrena, ib. xviii. 184.) 

 (Elate VIII. , rig. 16.) 



A single specimen of this very handsome species was captured by Mr. Fereday in the 

 South Island, high on the mountains at the head of Lake Wakatipu. 



The expansion of the wings is If inches. The fore-wings are deep orange-brown, shaded with 

 black near the base and in t/ie vicinity of the three cream-coloured transverse bands; the first of these 

 hands is situated near the base, the second at about one-third, ami the third, which is rather wavy, at 

 about two-thirds; there is a fine wavy white line close to the termen. The hind-wings are dark, 

 grey, with two broad cream-coloured bands, the first near the base and the second near the middle ; 

 there is a slender wavy line near the termen. The cilia of all the wings are cream-coloured, barred 

 with brownish-black. 



The perfect insect appears in January, and evidently frequents high mountains. 



Described and figured from the type-specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection. 



* In connection with these three species of Notoreas I should here mention that I hare a number of specimens in my 

 collection which appear to me to establish a complete transition between N. mechanitis, N. paradelpha, and N. perornata. 

 From a careful study of these specimens I am led to believe that these three forms are really only varieties of one very 

 variable species. Mr. Meyriek does not at present share this opinion, but I am disposed to think that this is chiefly due to 

 the comparatively limited number of specimens he has had the opportunity of examining. In any case I do not regard tin 

 question of the specific or varietal values of these, or indeed of any other forms, as matters of great scientific importance, 

 being, to a great extent, merely matters of individual opinion. 



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