1890.] 23 



amongst the dead shoots of their food-plant, and were transformed into somewhat 

 elongate pale brownish pupse, from which the first specimens of Simaethis combinatana 

 emerged on September 26th, and the others have been steadily appearing until to-day. 

 The moth is tolerably common during the summer months, and delights to bask in 

 the hottest sunshine, frequently flying about in a very fussy manner amongst the 

 herbage. It seems likely that there are a succession of broods during the year, as I 

 have taken the insect from October tdl April, but have not reared it before this 

 spring. The resemblance of this species, in the matter of habits, &c., to the British 

 species is very evident.— G. V. Hudson, Wellington, New Zealand : Oct. 2nd, 1889. 



On the flight of Atta antarctica. — This ant, which is very abundant on the hills 

 round Wellington, appears to perform its annual flight with great regularity. On 

 April 1st, 1888, I observed enormous numbers of the ^ flying about, over a very 

 large extent of country, the numerous webs, constructed by the autumnal spiders, 

 being filled with them, while the logs, fences, and ground were covered with the $ 

 and $ ants, in proportion of about 10 (? to 1 $ . The same phenomenon was exactly 

 repeated on March 31st, 1889, when the ants were, if anything, even more abundant. 

 Both days were calm and sunny, and no doubt this species takes advantage of the 

 fine weather which usually prevails about that time to perform its annual migrations, 

 still, the close approximation of the two dates is certainly remarkable. I should 

 imagine that the " stocks " of tlie several nests must be most completely mixed up 

 by the process, which probably is the object aimed at, although it is rather hard to 

 undei-stand how the workers in different nests, over an area of eight or ten miles, 

 know exactly when to liberate their ^ and $ ; nevertheless, I feel nearly sure that 

 this is done almost simultaneously in every nest. I should also mention that during 

 both of these flights I heard that peculiar " humming in the air " described by White, 

 of Selbourne, very distinctly, and have little doubt that the sound, which so puzzled 

 that renowned naturalist, was caused by a migration of ants in the higher regions of 

 the atmosphere. — Id. 



Psocida and Mistletoe. — In a note on the insects of the mistletoe, published in 

 the " Revue d'Entomologle," 1889, p. 232, my friend Dr. Puton, alludes to a species 

 of Psocus, found near Kemiremont, and adds concerning it, "que j'ai eu le tort de 

 ne pas recolter pour en faire part a un specialiste." Amongst the insects recently 

 found in mistletoe near Hereford by Dr. T. A. Chapman, I have seen two species of 

 Psovidce, viz. : Ccecilius flavidus, Steph., and Stenopsocus cruciatus, L. These are of 

 general distribution, and the latter is often found in mid-winter, even on snow. 

 Psovidce, as a rule, do not affect any particular plant, excepting in so far that certain 

 plants afford an abundance of the debris and cryptogamic growths upon which they 

 feed. Undoubtedly, conifers are much frequented by some species, almost to the 

 exclusion of other trees. They afford much debris and also great shelter (an essential 

 point). The dense tufts of mistletoe do the same. Therefore the PsocidcB found 

 therein should not be neglected ; they very probably would have only the slightest 

 special connection with the plant, but the favourable conditions might attract rare 

 species. Psocidce are usually gregarious, but not always so. Ps. morio, Latr., is 

 universally rare, and has mostly been found only singly; in this country the number 



