﻿TOUR ON THE TABLE-LAND OF MOUNT ARTHUR. 53 



that they would be likely to eat. No Coleoptera were observed ; 

 and in fact the only other insect was the luminous dipterous 

 larva, which on examination proved identical with those found 

 on the hanks of streams in the forest round Wellington. In the 

 afternoon we visited a singular gorge, chiefly remarkable for its 

 steep sides and a large rock at the entrance, in the middle of the 

 stream, somewhat resembling a sphinx in shape. This place is 

 well worth visiting, and can be easily found by following down 

 the first large stream which crosses the southern end of Salisbury's 

 Opening. A peculiar species of Ranunculus was abundant on the 

 steep sides, and many other rare looking plants. The insects 

 taken were numerous, comprising, amongst the Geometrina, — 

 Larentia chionogramma, Cidaria purpurife?'a, Epyaxa semifissata, 

 Larentia clarata, and Boarmia productata. Of the Pyralidina, 

 the genus Scoparia was, as might be expected, strongly repre- 

 sented, the following species being taken flying about the rocks : 

 Scoparia philerga, S. cymatias, S. trivigata, Xeroscopa niphospora, 

 X. cyameuta, X. rotuella, Diptychophoi'a interrupta, (Ecophora 

 griseata, and many other Micro-Lepidoptera. In fact, the locality 

 is so productive that I devoted two other afternoons to collecting 

 there, and should strongly recommend any entomologist visiting 

 the table-land to give it his close attention. 



On Sunday, January 27th, I decided to work Mount Peel and 

 the neighbourhood, and made an early start in the morning, 

 arriving on the top of the mountain at about eleven o'clock. On 

 our ascent, Notoreas paradelpha was common at about 4000 feet, 

 where a black species of Pyronota also occurred. The first snow 

 was met with at about 5000 feet, and shortly afterwards we again 

 fell in with Erebia pluto, but not so commonly as on Mount 

 Arthur. As, however, Mount Peel is so much better suited to 

 collecting, a larger and finer series was taken here than on the 

 former. I was also astonished to meet with the odd little 

 Chrysophanus boldenarum up here. The butterfly is said to 

 frequent river-beds in the South Island, but I am inclined to 

 think that it is far more widely distributed, and have seen large 

 numbers in the Wellington Province. A fine species of Locustidse 

 was also abundant on the rocks, and completely protective in its 

 colouring ; the same species occurred on Mount Arthur, and in 

 both localities the insects were quite invisible when motionless. 

 On returning, a visit was made to Lake Peel, where several 

 specimens of the alpine Cicadas {Cicada montana, Hud., MSS. 

 name) were secured, as well as Stathmonyma hectori, and other 

 interesting insects. 



Monday, 28th, was devoted to setting specimens and collecting 

 in the gorge ; and on Tuesday we left the table-land, meeting 

 with three specimens of Dodonidia helmsii on the track, all of 

 which were unfortunately out of reach. 



