THE LEPIDOPTERA. 79 



forms a slight cocoon in the earth round the roots of the 

 tree, where it is transformed into a very stout, ruddy- 

 brown-coloured pupa, somewhat paler on the wing-cases. 

 The moth emerges in two or three months' time. Its 

 colouring renders it so inconspicuous amongst moss that 

 I have frequently lifted a handful of the latter out of the 

 breeding cage, and only discovered that the insects had 

 emerged by their falling from the moss on to the table. A 

 very noticeable peculiarity in this species is the presence of 

 a fringe of long hairs in a fold on the anterior margin of 

 the fore-wing. This organ emits a fragrant perfume, and 

 is confined to the male sex (Fig. 5). Only one or two 

 other instances of this kind are at present known among 

 the New Zealand moths. 



Family NOCTUID.E. 

 Mamestra mutans (Plate X., fig 7, /a larva, /b pupa). 



This extremely abundant species occurs almost without 

 intermission during the whole of the year. The sluggish larva 

 (?a) feeds on plantain, and is best obtained by overturn- 

 ing logs and stones, when it may be discovered among 

 the grass and other plants growing round their edge. Its 

 head is pale green, with two broad black stripes, and is 

 clothed with numerous short bristles ; the four succeeding 

 segments are of a ruddy -brown colour, considerably 

 wrinkled, the remainder being light green, suffused with 

 a dull, pinkish hue towards the dorsal surface. The 

 markings consist of a triangular black spot on each side of 

 the second to eighth abdominal segments, and a cloudy 

 lateral line of the same colour ; the legs and prolegs being 

 pale green, and the whole insect more or less marbled with 

 black. This' description and the figure on Plate X. exhibit 

 the usual peculiarities of the larva, but in some individuals 

 the markings there indicated are quite obsolete, and the 



