mi,] 255 



fairly hardy species, and is finding English climate and English timber 

 quite to its taste, though as regards the former it has certainly enjoj^ed 

 very favourable conditions throughout the past season. In any case it 

 would seem worthy of attention as being a possible additional pest of the 

 already sorely afflicted Scots pine. 



13 Carlton Hill, 



St. John's Wood, London, N.W. 8 : 

 October IWi, 1921. 



[Amongst some specimens of this genus sent me in 1874 by the late 

 J. Chappel], mider the name Tomicus nigritus Gyll., I have fourd 

 a S and 2 of erosus. They were captured in or near a timber yard in 

 the Manchester district, and "their British origin is doubtful. These 

 examples agree with others from the Mediterranean region and the 

 Landes in my collection. — G. C. C] 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF THE LEPIDOPTEEOUS 

 GENUS MELANCHBA Hubn. FROM NEW ZEALAND. 



BT G. V. HUDSON, F.E.S., F.N.Z.TjS'ST. 



Ilelanchra averilla, n. sp. 



The expansion of the wings of the female is about If inches. The fore 

 winf^s have the costa nearly straight and the termen rather obliquely roiuided 

 with slight sinuations ; jJinkish-brotvn onitdi suffused ivithf/rey, especially towards 

 the base and termen ; the principal markings are very finely indicated in black ; 

 there is a conspicuous curved lottffitudinal streak from the base to about | ; the 

 fir.st line is indistinct, very wavy, faintly outlined in brown; the claviform is 

 small, cone-shaped; the orbicular is large, irregularly oval, almost wholly 

 outlined in black ; the reniform is large, rather indistinct, outlined in brown 

 towards the base, but otherwise faintly indicated by grey shading; the second 

 line is very faint, ^vey, sharply bent inwards before the dorsum ; there is a 

 series of dark-edged whitish subterminal dots and a V-shaped dark spot near 

 the tornus; the tornal area is clouded with brownish-ochreous and the cilia are 

 also brownish-ochreous. The hind wings are greyish-ochreous, darker towards 

 the termen ; the cilia are greyish-ochreous with whitish tips. The head, thorax, 

 and fore legs are grevish-white, very finely speckled with pinkish-brown ; the 

 basal third of the antennae is whitish, the remaining portion blackish. 



This species is evidently closely allied to Melanchra ustistriga 

 Walk., from which it differs in the presence of a conspicuous basal streak, 

 less distinct markings, smaller and less pointed claviform stigma, and 

 much paler colouring, especially of the hind wings. Two female speci- 

 mens were captured by Miss Averil Lysaght on Mount Egmont, in 

 December last, at an altitude of about 3000 feet above the sea-leveL 



llillview. Karori, N. Z. : 

 Au(just 1921. 



