180' (August, 



hudsoni McL. These insects Avere, however, very much scarcer than 

 usual, and the handsome Stcnosmyhis incisus McL. and ;S'. citrinus McL., 

 which one may usually rely on obtaining at Wainuiomata, were con- 

 spicuous by their absence ; moths and beetles were also very scarce, and 

 no notable captures were effected. 



On 5th January', 1920, accompanied by my wife and daughter, 

 I left Wellington for Takaka. For the first week the weather was fine, 

 but much cooler than is usual for the time of year. Takaka is situated 

 in a broad valley running into Golden Bay. The valley itself is highly 

 cultivated, having quite an English appearance, with its numerous home- 

 steads and clusters of poplars, willows, and other European trees. The 

 hills which bound the valley are, however, largely in the primitive 

 condition, and are clad with a variety of indigenous shrubs and trees, 

 whilst a few patches of native forest stiU remain in the valley itself. 

 Five species of butterflies are found at Takaka, an unusual number for 

 a New Zealand locality — i. e., Vanessa gonerilla F., V. itea F., V. cardui 

 L,, Chrysoplianus salustius F., C. holdenarum White, and Zizera 

 lahradus. V. cardui was unusually plentiful, my daughter capturing 

 four specimens in fifteen minutes. C. boldeiiarum was also abundant 

 on certain restricted pebbly patches by the roadsides. A good many 

 Coleoptera were secured by beating, the best capture being three 

 specimens of a fine Longicorn allied to, but quite distinct from, the rare 

 Tetrorea selator. Several fine weevils were taken belonging to the genus 

 Platyomida. Searching under logs resulted in the capture of the large 

 Mecodema venato)^? as well as several species of Trichosternus, Ancho- 

 mejius, Bonbidium, etc. From Takaka my daughter and myself pro- 

 ceeded to Mount Arthur. After a day's delay through a heavy fall of 

 snow which covered the hills from 1000 feet upwards, we camped in a 

 small clearing on the main track to the Mount Arthur Tableland, known 

 as Flora Camp, situated at an altitude of about 2700 feet above sea- 

 level. We confined our attention to the main spur of Mount Arthur, 

 collecting at altitudes ranging from 3000 to 4000 feet. On the first day 

 we ascended to the open country above 4000 feet only to find it almost 

 entirely covered with snow ! The whole sky was heavily overcast, but all 

 the surrounding mountains were extremely clearly defined, the effect 

 being most lurid, and one I have never previously seen from a high 

 mountain. No sun-loving insects were astir, and absolutely nothing 

 could be done in the open ; so we descended into the sub-alpine forest, 

 where assiduous beating and searching produced several interesting 

 species of Coleoptera, chiefly weevils and Dascillidae. The next day 



