I.— THE CABADBININA. 17 



MELANCHEA MAYA, n. sp. 

 (Plate IV.. fig. 31. 



A single specimen of this species was taken on the Tableland of Mount Arthur, 

 at an altitude of about 3,500 feet. 



The expansion of the wings is 1| inches. The fore-wings are bright yellowish-brown, paler 

 towards the apex ; there are two broad, shaded, black stripes at the base, one near the middle edged 

 with yellow above, and one below the middle edged with yellow beneath; the orbicular is oval, oblique, 

 edged witb black except towards the costa : the claviform is rather irregular, dark purplish-brown : the 

 reniform is very large, dark purplish-brown edged with black ; there is a large elongate patch of very 

 dark browti at the tomus, partly edged first with yellow and thru with black; another smaller patch 

 is situated on the termen near the middle, bisected by a tine yellow line. The hind-wings are grey; 

 the cilia of all the wings are yellowish-brown. The head and thorax are purplish-brown, the abdomen 

 dull hrownish-grey. 



MELANCHEA PLENA, Walk. 



{Erana plena, Walk., Suppl. 711. Mamcstra sphugnea, Feld., Reis. Nov., pi. cix. 17. Dianthcecia viridis, 



Bui, Cist. Ent. ii. 547. Mamcstra plena, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. 17.) 



(Plate IV.. fig 32.) 



Apparently common in the Canterbury district, where it has been taken at Christ- 

 church and Mount Hutt. In the North Island it has occurred in the neighbourhood of 

 Wellington. 



It resembles Melanchra insignis in every respect except that the head, thorax, and fore-wings are 

 entirely suffused with green ; there is no central black streak at the- base, and the orbicular, reniform, 

 and claviform spots are smaller. 



It varies a little in the intensity of the green colouring. 



The eggs are deposited early in November. At first they arc white in colour, but 

 soon become dull brown, with two concentric circular markings. The young larva closely 

 resembles that of the Melanchra insignis, but is much more sluggish. It feeds on grasses 

 and other low plants. 



In about six weeks' time it is full grown, when it still resembles the caterpillar 

 of Mela ucJtra insignis, except that its colouring is considerably darker, and a number 

 of rust-red spots are situated on the subdorsal line. This larva also appears to spend the 

 daytime underground, only coming abroad in the evening to feed. The pupa is concealed 

 in the earth. 



The perfect insect may be occasionally found at rest on tree-trunks in the forest, 

 where it is very hard to discover, as it almost exactly resembles a little patch of umss 

 or lichen. Specimens are sometimes noticed in the middle of winter, so there is little 

 doubt that this species hibernates. It occurs in spring as late as November, and as the 

 pupte emerge during the latter end of January the insect is about for most of the year. 



MELANCHRA LITHIAS, Meyr. 

 {Mamestra lithias, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst, xix. 17.) 

 (Plate IV., fig. 33.) 

 Two specimens of this species were taken at Castle Hill by Mr. J. I). Enys, and tire 

 now in Mr. Fereday's collection. 



The expansion of the wings is lj inches. The fore-ioings are slaty-broion ; there is a broken, 

 black-edged, white, transverse line near the base, and another at about one-third; tie- orbicular is indi- 

 cated by a conspicuous black-edged white crescent, the reniform is large, oblong, white, margined with 



