8 
Funonia vellida, only twelve species of butterflies are known 
in New Zealand. Three are NVymphalinae, the cosmopolitan 
Pyramets cardui (the well-known “ Painted Lady”), and two 
species of the same genus allied to our own “ Red Admiral” 
(P. atalanta), viz. P.itea,common to Australia, and P. gonerilla, 
the “ New Zealand Admiral,’ a remarkable form peculiar to 
the group of islands. Four are Satyrinae, belonging to two 
peculiar genera, and a third which may be peculiar but is 
certainly very near the northern Hredza. Five are Lycaenidae 
(‘ Blues” and “Coppers’”’). The affinity of the assemblage as 
a whole is distinctly northern. In fact there is no southern 
affinity, except in the Pyramezs ztea, which being identical 
with the Australian species, is probably either migratory or 
a recent accession. Such a collection at once compels the 
attention to the groups which are wanting. The absence of 
tropical families like the Danainae (except for A. archippus) 
and Acraeinae is not to be wondered at, but there is the 
surprising absence of all Pzerinae (“Whites”), Papilioninae 
(“Swallow-tails”), and, still more astonishing, Hesperidae 
(“Skippers”). Stupendous problems concerning the past 
history of the world are raised by a glance at this little 
collection, problems which are barely suggested by the 
separate units scattered here and there, according to their 
zoological affinity, throughout a vast general collection of 
about 60,c0o specimens. They are, however, needed in the 
general collection for another purpose, for the study of the 
precise affinity of each species by comparison with its nearest 
allies wherever they may be found. Thus two sets of speci- 
mens are required from localities with such special interest. 
Owing to Commander Walker’s kind help, the special New 
Zealand collection contains 10 out of the 12 species, while 
the general collections contain a fine series of several of 
the species. The absentees from the former collection are 
P. cardui and one Lycaenid, both of which can probably be 
obtained without great difficulty. 
The case of New Zealand has been treated in some detail, 
in order to demonstrate clearly the stimulus to thought which 
