THE LEPIDOPTERA. 8 3 



nightshade {Solatium aviculare), on which plant it may 

 still be occasionally found in the forest, where no imported 

 species are available, but, like many other caterpillars in 

 this country, it is forsaking the native vegetation for the 

 European. When full-grown, this larva spins a slight 

 ■cocoon of white silk, which is generally placed between two 

 leaves. The pupa is of a shiny black colour, the membrane 

 between the segments being reddish-brown. The moth 

 emerges in about three weeks' time. The figure (8) is taken 

 from a female insect, the male being readily distinguishable 

 by two large tufts of hair situated at the end of his body and 

 often very conspicuous. In some cases the wings of the 

 female are considerably lighter than in the illustration, but 

 otherwise the species does not seem to vary. It is the New 

 Zealand representative of the English " Silver Y Moth " 

 {P. gamma), no doubt familiar to many of my readers. 



Family Geometric;. 

 Declaim floccosa (Plate XL, fig. i, ia larva). 

 I have started the Geometridae with Declaim because it 

 -exhibits a great many more points in common with the 

 Noctuidae than does the genus Acidalza, which latter is 

 placed at the head of the Geometridae by some modern 

 Lepidopterists, chiefly, I believe, on account of neuration, a 

 character which if taken alone cannot but produce the most 

 unnatural divisions. The present insect is one of the com- 

 monest of the genus, and may often be observed throughout 

 the whole summer resting on the sheltered sides of trees 

 and fences, occasional stragglers being met with as late 

 as the end of May. Its larva is a pseudo-geometer pos- 

 sessing twelve legs (Fig. ia), and thus almost exactly re- 

 sembling the caterpillars of the genus Catocala, belonging 

 to the Noctuidae ; the curious filaments on each side of the 

 •insect making this likeness still more complete. It feeds 



