ABUNDANCE OF LEPIDOPTERA IN NEW ZilALANU. 211 



thereof. This would avoid the absurdity of interpolating white 

 between yellow and red, but it is open to the following objections: 

 that there is no evidence in its favour, that it is in opposition to 

 the arguments just advanced in favour of the evolution of yellow 

 and chestnut from white, and that it is not easily reconciled with 

 the existence of such species as Delias. But, indeed, I am vain 

 enough to think that Mr. Cockerell, who, after all, only advanced 

 his hypothesis doubtfully — provisionally (as he himself remarked 

 in a note to me) — has long since been convinced by my arguments 

 and experiments. 



And here, then, I must take leave of my readers, whose 

 patience, I trust, has not been overtaxed by a series of articles 

 running through seventeen months. I doubt not that many 

 corrections and modifications will need to be made at all points 

 in the theories to which I have been led by my experiments ; but 

 it will be a sufficient satisfaction to me if I shall have succeeded 

 in laying fairly secure foundations where previously building — 

 otherwise than by airy hypothesis — was chiefly conspicuous by its 

 absence. I hope to continue my work as opportunity permits, 

 and especially to investigate the colour of larvse, for which 

 work, however, I have at present no material. But if others 

 who have the opportunity will investigate the colours of other 

 orders, such as Coleoptera and the like, I shall be interested to 

 know what bearing, confirmatory or otherwise, their work may 

 have on my theories. 



Erbata. — Page 166, line 17, for "there is reason," read "there is no 

 reason "; p. 167, line 15 from bottom, for " nireus " read " niveus^'; p. 168, 

 bottom line, for "efficacy of the first to cause," read "efficacy of this factor 

 in causing"; p. 189, line 8 from top, for "and of what," read "and 

 examples of what," &c. ; p. 190, line 16 from top, for " e. g. Delias" read 

 " e. g. in Delias." 



ABUNDANCE OF LEPIDOPTEEA IN NEW ZEALAND. 



By W. W. Sbhth. 



Mr. R. Adkin's additional observations " On the occasional 

 abundance of certain species of Lepidoptera " (Entom. xxiv. 60), 

 together with the same gentleman's appreciative and suggestive 

 comments on a kindred paper of my own (Entom. xxiii. 805), 

 has induced me to contribute some further notes on the subject. 

 When I referred to Mr. Adkin's original and interesting paper 

 (Entom. xxiii. 177) dealing with the "sporadic abundance" of 

 certain species in the British Islands, I was fully aware that 

 he sought to explain, or suggest, the probable causes o7ily of the 

 sporadic occurrence of such species, and not to deal with the 

 subject on general principles as applicable to all species in 



