24 NEW ZEALAND MACRO-LEPIDOPTERA. 



a blackish suffusion extending from base of the dorsum obliquely to orbicular and remform, the 

 space between this and the subterminal line is suffused with pale whitish-ochreous ; the orbicular 

 and reniform are blackish-fuscous, black-margined, and connected by a blackish-fuscous spot ; the 

 orbicular is large, roundish ; the reniform with its outer edge white ; the claviform is small, suboval, 

 blackish-fuscous ; the transverse lines are indistinct ; the subterminal is obscurely paler or hardly 

 traceable, with two somewhat acute dentations below the middle ; the terminal space is mixed 

 with blackish-fuscous ; the cilia are reddish-fuscous mixed with blackish. The hind- wings are 

 fuscous-grey ; the cilia grey-whitish, with a grey line. 



The perfect insect appears in December, February, and March. 



Description compiled from that of Mr. Meyrick. Figured by Mr. W. B. Hudson 

 from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection. 



MELANCHEA ALCYONE, n. sp. 

 (Plate V., fig. 14 3 .) 



During the autumn of 1894 several specimens of this interesting species were 

 captured in the Wellington Botanical Gardens by Mr. A Norris. 



The expansion of the wings of the $ is If inches, of the ? \\ inches The fore- wings of the 

 male are warm brown, darker towards the base ; there is a wavy, white-edged, black, transverse line 

 at about one-fifth, followed by a round black spot ; the costa is yellowish, with four pairs of short 

 oblique black marks ; the orbicular is large, oval, oblique, pale yellowish-brown slightly darker in 

 the middle ; the claviform is small, obscure, and brownish-black ; the reniform is black, outlined with 

 dull white ; there is a series of very acute, dull white, tooth-like terminal markings, and the termen 

 itself is slightly scalloped ; the cilia are dark brown. The hind- wings are grey with a series of small 

 dark marks on the termen ; the cilia are reddish -ochreous. The head and anterior portion of 

 the thorax are reddish-ochreous ; the rest of the thorax is rich brown, and there is a conspicuous 

 black transverse line between the pale and dark colouring ; the abdomen is reddish-ochreous with 

 the crests reddish-brown. The female is much darker and duller than the male, the markings are 

 much less distinct, there are several additional jagged transverse lines, and the white markings of the 

 male are indistinctly indicated in drab. 



The perfect insect appears in March. 



MELANCHEA DOTATA, Walk. 

 (Dasypolia dotata, Walk., Noct. 522. Mamestra dotata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 24.) 



(Plate V., fig. 16.) 



This species has occurred at Nelson. 



The expansion of the wings is 1J inches. The fore-wings are very dark brownish-black ; there 

 are several obscure black marks near the base ; the orbicular is large, oblong, finely margined with 

 black, the claviform is triangular, also finely margined with black, both orbicular and claviform 

 are surrounded by a conspicuous black shading ; the reniform is large ear-shaped, white towards the 

 termen and dark brown towards the base of the wing, the white portion is traversed by a curved 

 brownish line ; there is a curved transverse line near the termen, the space immediately inside 

 this line being paler than the rest of the wing ; there is a terminal series of obscure pale dots. 

 The hind-wings are dark brown, paler towards the base ; the cilia are also brown. 



A single specimen of this insect was reared from a pupa found at Wakapuaka, 

 near Nelson. Mr. Fereday also has a specimen, but without note of locality. 



MELANCHEA ASTEEOPE, n. sp. 



(Plate V., fig. 15.) 



A single specimen of this insect was taken at light on the Tableland of Mount 

 Arthur, in January 1891, at about 3,600 feet above the sea-level. 



The expansion of the wings is If inches. The fore-wings are dull brown with a pale area on 

 the dorsum near the base, and a very broad pale band just before the termen ; there is a broken black- 



