anaua 
Corrxso.—On the Metamorphosis of Dasypodia selenophora. 203 
times, either to an animal or to a plant. Much, however, of its surpassing 
beauty quickly faded after death, which I attributed to the fumes of the 
sulphur I had used in killing it, not having any chloroform at hand, and 
leaving home on that very day by train to visit the country schools. ; 
The pupa-case (after the moth had emerged) is nearly cylindrical, very 
obtuse'at the head, and tapering regularly downwards from end of folded 
wings at 4th segment, and pointed conical at the tail; length, 1" 8", and 
diameter in thickest part 6” ; suspended slightly by tail; well-marked in 
front with folds of wings and antenns, eyes and head of imago, and very 
strongly with 7-ringed segments, each having two long spiracle marks, one 
on each side. Colour dark red (garnet), with a blueish or violet bloom 
(dust), but smooth and shining on its prominent parts. 
Cocoon very small, white and coarse, almost woolly; just sufficient to 
hold the edges of the leaf down to paper, where, however, it was strongly 
fastened ; fecal pellets emitted after enclosure. 
The imago had made its exit by a small round hole at the top of pupa- 
case, back of the head, the case having also slightly given way down the 
costal marking of the wings on each side. 
Norz.—Dr. Dieffenbach saw the moth I had raised from the larva referred 
to (in the note, p 301), at my house in the Bay of Islands, where he was a 
frequent visitor during his stay there in the summer of 1840-1841; and 
from me the doctor obtained not a few specimens and much information 
(like many other visitors of that early period), which, however, he never 
acknowledged. 
As it may be of some little interest I will just quote what I then wrote 
about that larva and imago, in a letter to Sir W. Hooker, dated **July, 
1841," and published by him in the London Journal of Botany (1842), vol. 
L, pp. 304, 805. 
* In a phial you will find specimens of what I believe to be the true 
larve of Sphaeria robertsii.* These larve are abundant in their season 
on the foliage of Batatas edulis (?) +, the kumara of the New Zealanders; 
_ to the great distress of the natives, who cultivate this root as a main article 
of their food, and whose occupation, at such times, is to collect and destroy 
them, which they do in great numbers. They vary a little in colour, as 
may be observed inthe specimens sent. The New Zealanders call them 
Hotete and Anuhe (the same names which they apply to the Spheria 
robertsii itself), and always speak of them as identieal with that Fungus. 
The common belief is, that both (those living on the kumara and those 
which bear the Fungi) alike descend from the clouds! this opinion doubtless 
arising from their sudden appearance and countless numbers. 
* Cordiceps robertsii.—Hand-Book, Fl. N.Z. 
t Ipomaa chryssorhiza.—Hand-Book, Fl. N.Z. 
