TV. THE PAPILIONTNA. 115 



insects, mountain ranges are more prolific in this butterfly than isolated peaks. 

 Mount Peel, situated to the west of Mount Arthur, is the best locality I know of for 

 this and many other Alpine species. Its gentle slopes enable the collector to work 

 with perfect ease and safety, whilst the patches of rich soil occurring nearly to the 

 top of the mountain support an unusually varied Alpine flora of great interest. 



EEEBIA BUTLERI, Fereday. 



(Erebiola butleri, Fereday, Trans. N. Z. Inst. xii. 264; Catalogue of N. Z. Butterflies, 19.) 

 (Plate XI., fig. 11 $ , 12 ? , 13 under side.) 



This interesting butterfly was described from three dilapidated specimens captured 

 by Mr. J. D. Enys at Whitcombe's Pass, Canterbury, on March 8, 1879, at about 

 4,000 feet above the sea-level. From that time I believe no other specimens had been 

 found until January, 1894, when I took quite a large number on the Humboldt 

 Eange, at the head of Lake Wakatipu, at elevations ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 feet 

 above the sea-level. 



The expansion of the wings of the male is 1| inches, of the female 1J inches. On the upper 

 side all the wings of the male are smoky-brown; the fore-wings have a large black ocellus near 

 the apex, enclosing two white dots, followed by a smaller ocellus towards the dorsum; the hind-wings 

 have three black spots near the termen, sometimes enclosing white dots. Occasionally these ocelli 

 are surrounded by a patch of deep reddish-brown. The female is much paler, with large patches 

 of yellowish-brown surrounding the ocelli. On the under side the fore-wings of the male are smoky- 

 brown, with an irregular blotch of reddish-brown near the apex, surrounding a small white-centred 

 black ocellus. The hind-wings are dark reddish-broivn, with several conspicuous black-edged silvery 

 markings, and four yellowish-red spots near the termen. The under side of the female is very 

 much paler. 



This butterfly varies considerably on the upper side in the number and size of the 

 ocelli, and in the extent of the reddish-brown markings which surround them ; on the 

 under side the silvery spots on the hind-wings are also variable. 



The perfect insect has been taken in January and March. It evidently frequents 

 mountains in the South Island, at elevations of about 4,000 feet, but does not appear 

 to be generally distributed in such localities. It seldom settles on the shingle, 

 mostly resting on the snow grass, on which its larva probably feeds. It is a smaller 

 insect than E. pluto, and flies much more feebly. These characteristics will at once 

 enable the collector to distinguish it from E. ^Z#o when on the wing. 



Immediately a cloud obscures the sun these butterflies retreat into the tufts of 

 the snow grass, remaining closely hidden there until the sun shines out again. This 

 circumstance makes the capture of the insect, even in a favourable locality, a matter 

 of considerable uncertainty, as bright sunshine is more often the exception than the 

 rule on the summits of high mountains. 



Family 3. LYCvENID^E. 



" Anterior legs developed, but tarsi of $ more or less abbreviated, or with one or both claws 

 absent ; posterior tibise without middle spurs. Fore-wings with vein 7 absent, 8 and 9 stalked or 

 coincident. Hind-wings without praecostal spur." (Plate I., figs. 15, 16, neura.tion of Chrysophanus 

 salustius.} 



"The family is large and very generally distributed. The species are of moderate 

 size or more often rather small, usually blue, dark brown, or coppery-orange in colouring, 

 often with series of small black pale-ringed spots on lower surface. 



