Mzxvnick.— On New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera. 95 
A striking feature is the extreme variability of most of the species. Of 
those of which I possess sufficiently extensive series to form any judgment, 
two-thirds are highly inconstant in colouring, and frequently also in size. 
By a careful selection of types, and exclusion of intermediate forms, some 
of these, such as Adow. conditana and Ped. obliquana, could easily be made 
to do duty as a dozen species in the estimation of those who had not 
observed them at large, and, in fact, to this variability is due in part the 
large number of synonyms attached to them. It would seem from this, (in 
conjunction with the fact that such larve as are known are mostly poly- 
phagous, and have readily adapted themselves to introduced European 
plants), that there have been no sufficient causes in operation to fix special 
types; it is possible that this may be in some measure due to the broken 
character of the fauna, and absence of closely allied species. It has also 
occurred to me, that, considering the very large number of new stations 
available for these insects on European plants, which have very rarely 
introduced any of their own Lepidoptera with them, and considering also the 
great pliability of character evidenced by the variability of colouring and 
larval habit, we have here every natural facility offered for the production 
of new species. It is very desirable that attention should be directed to this 
at once, since the process could only be detected by careful and continuous 
observation. 
Some species were wrongly classified in my paper cited above, owing in 
most instances to the want of material for a proper examination, my New 
Zealand specimens there described having been all obtained in a month's 
tour. I have given descriptions here of all the species, in order to afford a 
sufficient base of operations for the New Zealand student, without other 
works; but in the case of species which I have already described elsewhere, 
I have not given quite the amount of detail which is necessary in a first 
description. 
TORTRICINA. 
Head rather rough; ocelli present; tongue short (rarely obsolete). 
Antenne short. Maxillary palpi absent. Labial palpi rather stout, more 
or less porrected. Wings usually broad. Forewings with 12 veins (rarely 
11 or 10, by coalescense of 7 and 8, and further of 8 and 4), 7 and 8 
sometimes stalked, rest separate, vein 1 furcate at base (rarely one fork 
obsolete). Hindwings with 8 veins (sometimes 7 by coalescence of 3 
and 4), 8 and 4 often stalked, sometimes separate, 6 and 7 often 
stalked. 
Fam 1.—TORTRICID E. 
Lower median vein of hindwings without basal pectination; vein 2 of 
forewings rising before posterior third of lower margin of cell. 
