122 Transactions. 



immunis. Among the commoner varieties were Plusia chalcites, Leucania 

 mode ata, L. unipuncta, Melanchra ewingi, Rhapsa scolosialis, Hydriomena 

 deltoidata, H. gobiata, Euchocca ruhropunctaria, Venusia verriculata, Xan- 

 thorhoe stinaria, Selidosema dejectaria, S. panagrata, Sestra flexata, and 

 Drepanodes muriferata. 



Four specimens of a small micro were taken Avhile beating for beetles, 

 which proved on examination by Mr. A. Philpott to be Coriscium miniellutn. 



On leaving Kamo on the 8th January, 1910, I proceeded north as far as 

 Russell, Bay of Islands At Russell I saw a single specimen of Vanessa 

 ilea on the summit of the historical Flagstaff Hill. The only moths taken 

 at night were Ipana leptomera and Orthosia comma. The manuka scrub 

 seemed to be alive with large singing locustei, Melampsatta cingulata, and 

 several fine specimens were taken. 



Apart from these cicadas there seemed to be a marked dearth of insect-life 

 at this time. The same fact has been noted by Mr. A. Hamilton, the Director 

 of the Dominion Museum, during his recent tour north of Auckland. The 

 gum lands and manuka-scrub plains seem to be very poor in insects. 



The collecting in the North being poor, I Avas recalled to Wellington, 

 with the idea of trying the South Island fields again. Mount Arthur table- 

 land was to have been visited, but eventually it was decided that I should 

 go to the Humboldt Range, near Queenstown district. Lake Wakatipu. 

 Collectors who had been in Queenstown district at Christmas brought very 

 bad reports about the scarcity of Lepidoptera at that time, and I went 

 expecting to be disappointed 



The previous season, collecting for the Dominion Museum in company 

 with Mr. F. S. Oliver, of Christchureh, we had a very successful time on 

 Bold Peak, prominent on the Humboldt Mountains, and directly above 

 Kinloch. Then we took that rare butterfly Erebia butleri and some large 

 Erebia pluto on the higher slopes of the mountain, but Ave AA^ere unable to 

 do any night work at these higher altitudes. Bold Peak is easily accessible 

 from Glenorchy or Kinloch, and good collecting can be obtained above 

 the bush-line, 3,600 ft. The flora on the slopes of Bold Peak is specially 

 rich in Veronicas, and knoAving what an attractive blossom Veronica is for 

 Noctuae I Avas anxious to get some night Avork at these plants. 



On the 31st January, 1910, I arrived at Kinloch, and by the evening 

 of the same day had a camp pitched just above the bush-line on the way 

 to Bold Peak. I treacled the birch bush in many places, but failed to 

 attract a single moth, for reasons that were apparent later on. During the 

 two folloAving beautifully fine daj^s I made excursions up to the altitude 

 of about 6,500 ft., and had splendid catches of Erebia butleri and E. pluto. 



The butleri seemed to be in poor condition, and, although the proportion 

 of females to males Avas greater than that of the previous season, about 

 fifteen males Avere taken to every female. This may be due to two facts — 

 (1) a female Erebia butleri on the Aving is easily mistaken for a dark male 

 Argyrophenga antipodum, especially if you cannot see the underside ; (2) as 

 a rule, the habits of the E. butleri are sluggish, and it does not make long 

 flights ; it frecjuents some particular tussock-clump and flutters about 

 there. Their position is generally indicated by Avatching the movements 

 of the males, and noticing Avhere they hoA'^er for a longer time than usual. 

 During the bright sunshine the male butleri is seldom ever at rest, and 

 appears to fly backAvards and forAvards along A\-ell-defined routes AA'ithin 

 certain natural boundaries. This "trade-route" habit is specially charac- 

 teristic of the movements of E. pluto also. 



