26 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Apart, however, from the differences to be found in the 

 markings, the two species are easily separable by other characters 

 alone. Thus, in proportion to the respective length of their fore 

 wings, we find that the thorax of strigilis is much narrower than 

 that oi M.fasciuncula and the latter is not crested. Both sexes 

 of M. strigiUs have distinct dorsal tufts on the body, but in 

 M. fasciuncula these tufts are only found in the male, and are 

 very insignificant even in that sex. 



Having convinced myself of the distinctness of these two 

 species, it now remained for me to determine the position of the 

 three specimens I had so long regarded as varieties of M. strigilis. 

 Examination of these specimens, which on former occasions 

 when I had looked at them I am bound to confess had been only 

 superficial, was now careful and minute. The result is that I 

 find the specimens are not identical with either M. strigilis or 

 M. fasciuncula. Neither can they be considered forms inter- 

 mediate between those two species. 



Although very similar to forms of M. fasciuncula in colour of 

 ground and markings of fore wings, they can be separated at once 

 from that species by the strigilis-like dorsal tufts on the body. It 

 was chiefly owing to the presence of these dorsal tufts, that I sup- 

 posed the specimens to be aberrations of M. strigilis, but they are 

 larger than any example of that species I have ever seen and 

 altogether more robust ; the nervures are thicker ; the first trans- 

 verse line is decidedly curved, not unlike the same line in M. 

 literosa, and the basal area is more uniformly coloured, I am 

 inclined to think that these ^seudo-strigilis are forms of a distinct 

 species which so far has been overlooked, and shall be pleased to 

 hear from anyone who may have specimens of a Miana which 

 he cannot reconcile with either of the known European species 

 or forms. 



THE HABITS AND LIFE-HISTORY OF THE 

 NEW ZEALAND GLOW-WORM.* 



By G. V. Hudson, F.E.S. 



My first attempt to discover the nature of the New Zealand 

 glow-worm was in January, 1885, when I captured several speci- 

 mens and recorded them as dipterous larvse, but, through pressure 

 of other work, did not figure or carefully examine them. 



Exactly a year later I had the insect again brought under my 

 notice during a conversation with Mr. E. Meyrick, who told me that 

 he had written a short note on the animal, which is quoted in full 

 in my previous paper (Trans, Well. Phil. Soc. vol. xix., page 62). 

 He stated, as his opinion, that the larva was referable to one of the 



* Bead before the Wellington Philosophical Society, October 8th, 1890. 



