I. —THE GABADBININA. 15 



at the door of my tent. Prior to this date only one specimen had been taken by Mr. 

 Meyrick during January, L886. All these ninths were met with over 3,500 feet above 

 the sea-level, so that the insect is evidently confined to mountain regions. 



Genus 7.— MFLAXCHPA, Hb. 



"Head rough-scaled; eyes hairy. Ajitennse in ,i ciliated, or sometimes bipectinated with apex 



simple. Thorax with mor ■ less developed anterior and posterior crests. Abdomen more or less 



crested, in 2 obtuse. Anterior tibiae rarely with apical hook." 



"A large genus of very general distribution, but much commoner in temperate 

 regions of both hemispheres. Relatively much more numerous in New Zealand than 

 elsewhere." — (Meyrick.) 



This genus includes no less than thirty-lour species. Some of these are extremely 

 difficult to distinguish owing to the obscurity of their markings, which offer unusual 

 obstacles to clear description and delineation. I have, however, endeavoured to point 

 out what, in my opinion, constitute the most reliable distinctions; but I fear that 

 amongst those species, where only one or two specimens are known, cases of real 

 difficulty will arise. Future investigation will no doubt result in a remodelling of 

 some of the more obscure species in this genus. 



It may be well to point out that the genus Melanchra was formerly known by 

 the name of Mamestra. 



MELANCHEA DISJUNGENS, Walk. 

 (HeliopJwbiis clisjungens, Walk., Noct. 1681 ; Butl., Voy. Ereb., pi. ix. 1. Hadena nervata, Gn., Ent. Mo. 

 Mag. v. 40. Mamestra disjungens, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 15.) 

 (Plate V.,' fig. 43.) 

 This species has occurred in the South Island at Ashburton and at Rakaia. 

 The expansion of the wings is about If inches. The fore-wings are brownish-grey; the reins 

 are very conspicuously marked in white, the orbicular and reniform are large, white, each with a dusky 

 centre; there is a conspicuous, white, transverse line near the termen, emitting two white, tooth-like 

 projections on veins :•; and 4, and connected with a longitudinal line running to the base of the wing. 

 The hind-wings are grey with the cilia white. 



The perfect insect appears from November till January. It was formerly a common 

 species near Eakaia, hut is now" much scarcer. 



MELANCHRA PAEACAUSTA, Meyr. 

 (Mamestra paracausta, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 15.) 

 (Plate IV., tig. -is j, 28a 2.) 

 This species has occurred in the South Island at Mount Arthur, Castle Hill, and 

 Invercargill. 



The expansion of the wings is about l'i inches. The fore-wings are dull white with an irregular, 

 central, longitudinal, blackish-brown streak becoming very broad towards the termen; tliere is an oval 

 reddish-brown blotch near the base, bat no distinct transverse liars ,■ two conspicuous elliptic, white 

 marks are situated on tin- termen near the tornus. The hind-wings are pale grey, with an obscure 

 central shade and a series of brownish dots along the termen. 



The species appears somewhat variable. In some male specimens the white colouring- 

 is largely replaced by pale yellowish-brown. Described and figured from specimens 

 in the collections of Messrs. Fereday, Hawthorne, and Philpott * 



* Mr. Philpott informs me that the larva .if .1/. paracausta closely resembles! that of M. vitiosa. 



