( 189 ) 



VIII. — Descriptions of Leimhyptera from the South 

 Pacific. By Edward Meyrick, B.A. 



[Read November 4th, 1885.] 



The species described hereafter formed the collections of 

 Mr. Gervase F. Mathew, E.N., F.L.S., &c., of H. M.S. 

 ' Espiegle,' and Dr. Lucas, of Melbourne ; and I have 

 given the complete list of the Geometrina and Micro- 

 Lepidoptera taken by both these gentlemen. This is 

 interesting in relation to geographical distribution, but 

 must be regarded as very imperfectly illustrating the 

 character of the fauna. Mr. Mathew's collection was 

 formed during three years' stay on the Australian 

 station, and was obtained on short occasional visits to 

 the different islands, whenever an opportunity mioht 

 occur for landing. Moreover, being especially interested 

 in the Rhopaloccra, Mr. Mathew at first paid little 

 attention to the groups which form the subject of this 

 paper, until I asked him to obtain all he could ; he then 

 collected them more assiduously, but I suspect princi- 

 pally when butterflies were scarce. I am, however, 

 much indebted to him for his labours, and for the liberal 

 gift of types of many of the species ; and I should add 

 that his specimens were for the most part in fine 

 condition. Dr. Lucas obtained his collection during a 

 short winter visit to Fiji; I have not seen the entire 

 collection, but types of all the species were submitted to 

 me. Dr. Lucas informs me that many of the sj^ecimens 

 were taken under conditions which rendered their 

 preservation a work of great difficulty, much of his 

 collecting being done in a canoe on the rivers with native 

 assistants ; for this reason they are often in an im- 

 perfect state. In the case of each species in the list I 

 have added the name of the collector. 



It would be unwise to enter into generalisations on 

 the basis of an imperfect list like this, but I may direct 

 attention to the great preponderance of the liutijdidce 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 188G. — PART III. (oCT.) p 



