116 Trofisactions. 



Collecting in the daytime gave very poor results, only one Vanessa cardui 

 being seen, but treacling in the evening was a greater success than ever. 

 The night was warm, and the treacle was laid just after sundown. On one 

 patch of treacle alone fifty Melanchra eivingi were counted, all struggling 

 to get a share of the sugar. 



In addition to the captures of the two previous nights, we got Orthosia 

 comma, Melanchra neurae, and Agrotis ypsilon, besides two more Melanchrei 

 levis. 



We left Moeraki next day, and proceeded to Waikouaiti and Waitati, 

 but beyond a few common moths nothing worth recording was taken. No 

 doubt the poor catches in this place were due to the attractiveness of the 

 native flowers. 



After spending a few days in the neighbourhood of Dunedin we pro- 

 ceeded to Outram, or, rather, Woodside, a small township at the foot of the 

 Maungatua Range. There is some very fine native bush to be seen there, 

 especially in a place called " The Glen." Contrary to our expectations, 

 and perhaps owing to the inclemency of the weather, our collecting was 

 very poor. Night work was poor, and our only results were obtained by 

 beating the bushes vigorously Melanchra ewingi was plentiful, and used 

 with excellent results by the local sportsmen as a bait for trout fishing. 



On the 26th November we proceeded to Waipori, being instructed to 

 make a special collection of M. disjungens from this locality. The country 

 is mainly covered with tussock-grass. Our first evening's treacling was 

 round the fence-posts, and although a biting cold wind was blowing we 

 had fair results. Great was the excitement when it was noticed that there 

 was a peculiar whitish moth unknown to us on the treacle, along with 

 Leucania moderata, Orthosia comma, Melanchra ewingi, M. ^nutans, and 

 M. disjungens. During our three days' stay there we got a remarkable 

 series of this moth, which eventually proved to be Physetica caerulea. The 

 forms range from an almost pure white with yellow spots to dark steel- 

 blue, the typical form. Such a remarkable case of variation is seldom 

 met with, especially in one locality. The day collecting was very poor 

 at Waipori, as the weather was dull and cold, with cold fogs at night. A 

 few Argyrofhenga antipodum were taken, and. several species of yotoreas. 



Our next rendezvous was Lumsden, en route for the Cold Lakes District. 



At Lumsden we treacled on the fence-posts in the river-bed of the Oreti, 

 the only vegetation being gorse-bushes. Good results were obtained, com- 

 prising Melanchra moderata, M. mutans, M. ewingi, M. disjungens, Orthosia 

 comma, Leucania griseipennis, and Melanchra lithias. The last named was 

 forwarded as mutans, but on inspection was found to be the rarer moth. 



The following day a few Argyrophenga antipodum were taken on the 

 hills near Lumsden, and immense numbers of Nyctemera annulata were 

 seen everywhere. 



Queenstown was reached the same day, and two days later, on the 7th 

 December, we reached Macetown, our principal field for operations. 



The following morning we found the ground covered with snow to a 

 depth of 2 in. Macetown is situated at an altitude of 2,000 ft., and is 

 subject to peculiarly rapid changes of climate. M'e were bitterly dis- 

 appointed to see the higher hills covered in snow, as we were going to make 

 special efforts to get alpine forms. However, the snow soon started to 

 melt, and we impatiently waited for finer weather. Li the evenings we 

 treacled in many places round the township, having the schoolhouse for 

 the centre of our operations. 



