1920.] 181 



broke clear, but promptly clouded over about 8 a.m., and remained so the 

 entire day, the mountains above 3500 feet being buried in cloud. It was 

 quite calm, though very cold, and beating was carried on with some 

 success; but the most productive means of collecting was by searching the 

 large blade-like leaves of an Asfelia, which covered the gromid in many 

 of the sub-alpine glades. This produced a fine new species of Tinea, 

 a mimic of Olypliipteryx; a beautiful specimen of the hitherto unique 

 Sahatinca amella Huds., captured by my daughter; and several species 

 of weevils allied to Dorytomus and Neomycta. Two very large speci- 

 mens of the magnificent weevil, Agathiniis tridens F., were discovered on 

 the outside of my sweep-net. They were strongly tinged with reddish 

 and of unusual size, so that at first sight I was under the im])ression that 

 I had discovered something new to me. At evening dusk we captured 

 a long series of the fine 'Yv'\v\\o\)iQYon, Pseiidoeconesus sframineus McL., 

 flying over a small stream at Flora Camp, and one specimen of Sten- 

 osmylus incisus McL. ; but heavy rain then supervened and forced a 

 hurried retreat into the tent ! The next morning it was still raining in 

 torrents; all streams were in full flood, and it was necessary to retmni to 

 the lowlands. One and a half days of continuous rain followed. 



On 4th February, 1920, hoping to retrieve my bad luck on Mount 

 Arthur, I left Wellington for Arthur's Pass. This is probably the most 

 accessible alpine locality in New Zealand, the main road to the west 

 coast traversing the pass at an altitude of 3000 feet. Here one fine day 

 was lost through the delay of the Wellington-Lyttelton steamer by fog, 

 and the next day Avas marred b}' a strong N.W. wind. This rendered 

 flying insects scarce and hard to catch. I nevertheless secured a good 

 specimen of the remarkable Cramhus ejyhorus Meyr., of which I believe 

 the only other specimen is the type discovered by Mr. Meyrick when he 

 visited the Pass in 1883 ! Several specimens of Orocramhus pervivs 

 Meyr. occurred at about 3200 feet — an autumnal sj^ecies hitherto only 

 recorded from the extreme south. The fine black and deep reddish 

 mountain Cicada, 31elanipsalfa quadricincta Walk., as well as the beau- 

 tiful sub-alpine varieties of the extremely variable JMelampsalta cruentuta 

 Walk., were common, and a good series of each secured. Beating yielded 

 two nice weevils allied to Praolepra, as well as further species of 

 Dascillidae etc. Two other fine days were experienced at Arthur's 

 Pass, during which I took a second specimen of Cramhus ephorus Meyr., 

 a long series of Orocramhus pervius Meyr., and on the rocks and stones 

 above 4500 feet eleven specimens of another species of mountain Cicada, 

 quite new to me, which may possibly prove to be Melampsalta nervosa 

 Walk. 



