Ferepay. —On Perenodaimon pluto. 197 
Art. XX.— Note on a peculiar Neuration in the Wings of some Individuals of 
Perenodaimon pluto, a New Zealand Butterfly. 
By R. W. Ferepay, M.E.S.L. 
[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 30th November, 1882.] 
Waen examining some specimens of P. pluto I noticed that the costal 
nervure of the primary wings of one of them was bent inwards and united 
to the first subcostal nervule, the united nervure and nervule running 
thence in one vein to the anterior margin, as shown in the annexed 
diagram, fig. la. In ordinary speci- 
mens the first subcostal nervule is 
not present, and the costal nervure 
is of the ordinary form as shown in 
the annexed diagram, fig.2. (The 
diagram is twice the natural size of 
the wing). 
The discovery of this peculiarity 
led me to examine very carefully 
all the specimens of P. pluto in my 
collection, and those in the collec- 
tion of Mr. J. D. Enys. These 
collections consist of 83 specimens 
taken on & mountain near Mr. 
Enys station, Castle Hill, Porter’s — 
Pass, 21 on Mount Hutt, and 1 on a mountain near Lake Guyon (Nelson 
Provincial District). Six males and one female of the Castle Hill speci- 
mens, four males of the Mount Hutt, and the one male of Lake Guyon, 
have the united veins, and are smaller, but in other respects do not appear 
to differ from the ordinary form. In all the specimens having the united 
veins, such veins are alike in form, position, strength, and point of junc- 
tion, and all the other veins are uniform with those of the ordinary speci- 
mens. No other irregularity of neuration appears in any of the specimens, 
nor does there appear to be any other tendency to variation in the species. 
Does the neuration of the wings of Lepidoptera furnish a reliable char- 
acter for determining families and genera? I will not attempt to answer 
this question, but I submit the above facts for the consideration of ento- 
mologists. 
