of the New Zealand insect fauna is not far to seek, for it 

 is undoubtedly due to the fact that its great interest and 

 importance were until quite recently not realised by ento- 

 mologists in general, previous to which a certain lack of 

 superficial attractiveness in the insects as a whole had led to 

 their being somewhat neglected by collectors, professional 

 and otherwise. The close research and observation carried 

 out during the past thirty years by the resident entomologists 

 of New Zealand, with the aid of such capable visitors from 

 England as Mr. E. Meyrick and others, have completely 

 dissipated the idea of an insect fauna unduly poor in number 

 of species. But these researches have emphasised the isolated 

 and distinctive character of the fauna, by revealing the striking 

 inequality in the representation of the different Orders of 

 insects, and the entire absence in all, of a great number of 

 groups otherwise of almost universal distribution. Indeed, 

 it may be said that the interest of the New Zealand insect 

 fauna as a whole consists almost as much in its deficiencies, 

 as in what it includes. 



Comparatively few of tlie New Zealand insects are of 

 diurnal or obtrusive habits, and their general apparent scarcity 

 in species at any rate, is very evident to the ordinary col- 

 lector, as indeed it was at first to myself. A very large number 

 of insects in all Orders, especially in the Coleoptera, are most 

 effici(n)tly protected from casual observation by their inactive 

 and retired habits, and even more by the eminently cryptic 

 natunj of their form and colouring, which harmonise in a 

 greater degree with their special surroundings than is probably 

 the case with the members of any other fauna. Very many 

 species are exceedingly local, and confined to a very small 

 area, and a large number of the finer forms now known have 

 been recently obtained from mountain localities more or less 

 difficult of access. When, however, the entomologist from 

 England has realised the peculiar conditions under which 

 most of the endemic insects live, he will find collecting fully 

 as pleasant and remunerative as at home, though it may 

 call for a greater amount of acumen and perseverance. 



In the neighbourhood of the larger towns, the insects 

 introduced accidentally or of set purpose from our own coun- 



