68 Transactions.— Zoology. 
Epimecis dibapha, Feld., also from Chili, is doubtless also closely allied 
to the last species of Pasithea. 
Harpyia albicans, Walk., from South Africa, approaches nearly the 
group of Declana. 
If the species referred to above as probably new are really so, the 
number of the New Zealand Geometrina at present known will be 95, 
Art. XI.— Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera. 
By E. Meyricr, B.A. 
[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 7th August, 1884.] 
IV.—SCOPARIAD.E. 
Tus family occupies an unusually prominent position in New Zealand, and 
the principal genera attain here their maximum of development. The 
development is however mainly specifie, and there is no large number of 
peculiar genera, as in some other groups. The family is undoubtedly of 
very ancient type, and the food of the larve, which probably consists wholly 
of mosses, will allow of a possible origin earlier in time than the appearance 
of flowering plants. It is probably due to this persistence of habit that the 
type has undergone so little generic modification ; specific change being 
sufficient to allow of all the adaptation required. The distribution of the 
family seems chiefly limited by the suitability of the climate for the growth 
of their food-plants; hence they are found principally in cool temperate 
latitudes, or at considerable elevations. 
As I have elsewhere pointed out, the oldest form of the family is 
probably Nyctarcha, which is a singular synthetic type. Xeroscopa is an 
early off-shoot from Scoparia, and Tetraprosopus a development of Xeroscopa. 
Owing to the small range of colour, and great similarity of markings, 
which are moreover in most of the species more or less confused and ill- 
defined, being composed of black, white, and grey scales variously blended, 
the group is a diffieult one either to study or to describe. In order to make 
this monograph more comprehensive, I have therefore included all the 
Australian species of Scoparia, Tetraprosopus, and Xeroscopa (which are, 
however, much less numerous than those from New Zealand), indicating 
them by an asterisk (*) as not occurring in New Zealand: No species of 
the family is common to both regions. The Australian species of Nyctarcha 
and Helipsiodes, which I have already described elsewhere, and which are 
moreover very distinct from anything occurring in New Zealand, I have 
not thought it necessary to include. 
