268 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



abounded amongst the tussock-grass in all the openings. It is 

 noteworthy that this insect becomes alpine in the north of the 

 middle island, viz., in the Nelson district, whereas on the plains 

 of Canterbury and Otago it occurs at the sea-level. 



The nights, when clear, were intensely cold, the thermometer 

 standing at 29" Fahr. one morning at 5 a.m. Notwithstanding 

 this cold, Noctuse flew into our hut during the evenings, attracted 

 by the light. They consisted of Mamestra ruhescens, M. moderata, 

 and Agrotis nullifera. In the daytime Larentia clarata was the 

 commonest moth, the conspicuous and handsome Crambus 

 crenoeus coming next in abundance, two specimens of the rarer 

 Crambus dijjlorrhous being also met with. Both these insects 

 are quite two inches across the wings, and consequently unusually 

 large in size for the genus. One plume-moth was obtained, viz., 

 MinKBseoptilus lithoxestus. But the most interesting of all the 

 alpine Lepidoptera were the members of the genus Notoreas and 

 its allies, of which we took six species, viz., Notoreas hre])]ios, 

 N. philadelpha, N. perornata, Arcteuthes chrysopeda, Slathomyma 

 anceps, and Dasyuris partheniata, besides several others un- 

 determined. 



The greatest elevation reached was Mount Peel (5300 ft.), 

 where we saw one specimen of Erehia pliito, but could discover 

 no more, although we spent upwards of three hours on the 

 shingle-beds near the top of the mountain. It was most 

 disappointing to miss this species, as it was an insect we were 

 both much in want of. This mountain also produced a fine 

 species of alpine grasshopper (Locustidse), which I have not yet 

 identified, as well as large quantities of the weevil [Cladopais minis) 

 found clinging to the grass, and very sluggish with the cold. 



I was informed by the miners who reside on the Tableland 

 that the summer was an exceptionally cold one, snow having 

 fallen there only three weeks before our arrival. This, I think, 

 will account for the scarcity of Erehia pluto and other insects, 

 which should have been much more abundant. We left the 

 Tableland on the 19th, and on the 20th the whole of the 

 mountains down to 3000 ft. were again covered with snow. 



On March 7th I observed the largest assemblage of moths 

 I have ever seen in New Zealand. They were flying round an 

 electric light suspended from the yard-arm of the steamship 

 * Aorangi,' laying at the wharf in Wellington Harbour. I should 



