77. _ THE NOTODONTTNA. 61 



Mountain near Nelson, at an elevation of about 2,700 feet above the sea-level. Here 

 I took several specimens on the flowers of an Alpine veronica in the dusk of evening, and 

 saw several others, which I was unable to capture. Mr. Meyrick has taken it on 

 Mount Arthur at an elevation of 4,500 feet, and Mr. Fereday states that it frequents 

 swampy places near Christchurch. 



XANTHORHOE NEPHELIAS, Meyr. 

 (Larentia nephelias, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 78.) 



This species was discovered by Mr. Meyrick in the South Island at Arthur's Pass, 

 West Coast Koad, and he has since taken it on Mount Arthur. 



" Male, female. — The expansion of the wings is 32-34 mm. (about lj inches). Fore-wings 

 moderate, in female narrower and more elongate, termen rounded ; pale whitish-grey, slightly 

 ochreous-tinged ; an indistinct suffusion of dark fuscous scales before middle ; a small dark fuscous 

 discal dot ; a rather irregular cloudy dark fuscous line beyond middle, sinuate beneath costa, shortly 

 angulated in middle ; a very faint stria beyond this ; a terminal band composed of two rows of cloudy 

 partially confluent dark fuscous spots, separating on costa; cilia pale whitish-grey. Hind-wings 

 moderate, in female narrower, termen rounded ; ground colour as in fore-wings, with a few grey scales 

 posteriorly. 



"A remarkable-looking species. 



"I took two tine specimens above Arthur's Pass (4, GOO feet), in January." — 

 (Meyrick). 



I am unacquainted with this species. It is evidently very conspicuous and distinct. 



XANTHORHOE CATAPHRACTA, Meyr. 

 (Larentia cataphracta, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 79.) 

 (Plate YIP, fig. 33 3 , 34 ? .) 

 This large and conspicuous species has occurred in the South Island at Mount Arthur, 

 Arthur's Pass, Lake G-uyon, and Lake Wakatipu. 



The expansion of the wings of the male is 1| inches, of the female \\ inches. The fore-wings 

 are dull yellowish-brown, with numerous slightly waved oblique black and white transverse bands ; one 

 very broad white band is situated near the middle, and another at about three-fourths ; there is 

 a broad longitudinal reddish-brown line on the costal edge, in which the transverse lines almost 

 disappear ; there is also a pale, somewhat triangular, area at the apex. The hind-wings are very pale 

 greyish-ochreous. The cilia of all the wings are very pale ochreous. The female is duller and paler 

 than the male. 



The perfect insect appears from December till March, and frequents grassy slopes on 

 the mountain sides, at elevations of from 3,000 to 4,000 feet. I observed this insect in 

 great abundance on the Humboldt Range at the head of Lake Wakatipu, but have not 

 found it at any of the other Alpine localities I have visited, so I imagine that it is a rather 

 local species. 



XANTHORHOE CLARATA, Walk. 



(Larentia clarata, Walk. 1197; But!., Cat. pi. iii. 14. Cideria pyramaria, Gn., E. M. M. v. 93. 



Larentia clarata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 79.) 



(Plate VIP, fig. 31 3 , 32 2.) 



This conspicuous species has occurred in the South Island at Lake Rotoiti, Mount 



Arthur, Castle Hill, Mount Hutt, Dunedin, and Lake Wakatipu. 



The expansion of the wings of the male is H inches, of the female li,- inches. 

 The species differs from the preceding in the following respects : The ground colour of the fore- 

 wings is brighter, the markings are less oblique and much more jagged ; the large white central hand 

 is often broken up into several distinct oval patches ; the costal edge is very slightly shaded with 



