Meykick. — On New Zealand Geometrina. 83 



towards base, anteriorly dark-margined ; two obscure curved subdentate 

 adjacent whitish lines about J, followed by a dark line; a blackish discal 

 dot; a very irregular dentate curved dark grey line beyond middle, followed 

 by two adjacent whitish lines ; a sharply dentate obscure whitish subterminal 

 line, anteriorly dark-margined. Hindwings moderate, hindmargin rounded ; 

 markings as in forewings, but more obscure, paler and more suffused 

 towards base. 



A fine species, with a peculiar bluish tinge. 

 . I took two specimens at rest on rock-faces in the Otira Gorge, at 1,800 

 feet, in January, and saw others. 



48. Lar. cinerearia, Dbld. 



(Cidaria (?) cinerearia, Dbld., Dieff. N.Z,, ii., 286 ; Larentia (?) invexata, Walk., 1199, Butl. 



Cat., pi. iii., 11 ; Larentia semisignata, Walk., 1200 ; Larentia inoperata, Walk., 1201 ; 



Larentia pimctilineata, Walk., 1202, Butl. Cat., pi. iii., 12; Cidaria dissociata, Walk., 



1734 ; Cidaria semilisata, Walk., 1735 ; Larentia corcularia, Gn., E.M.M., v., 61 ; 



Larentia infantaria, Gn., E.M.M., v., 62 ; Helastia eupitheciaria, Gn., E.M.M., v., 95 ; 



? Cidaria sphceriata, Eeld., cxxxi., 14.) 



Male, female. — 16-25 mm. Forewings moderate, hindmargin rounded ; 

 ochreous-whitish or grey-whitish, irrorated with grey ; numerous dark grey 

 or dark fuscous regular dentate stria?, tending to form dots on veins ; two 

 adjacent near base, two others before middle, and three beyond middle 

 darker and more conspicuous, especially on upper half, where they are 

 often marked with blackish ; a small blackish discal dot ; the three post- 

 median lines twice irregularly sinuate in and above middle ; a blackish 

 interrupted hindmarginal line. Hindwings moderate, hindmargin rounded ; 

 pale grey, from -J to hindmargin faintly marked with dentate angulated 

 darker striae. 



Varies considerably in size, colour, and strength of marking ; but I can 

 find no point of distinction to justify the separation of any form as a 

 distinct species. Three main forms occur ; one large, greyer, and more 

 uniform, without strong markings ; a second of middle size, whiter and 

 generally strongly marked, sometimes bluish-tinged, only found in the 

 hills ; and a third small, greyish but ochreous-tinged, strongly marked ; 

 these are connected by scarcer intermediate forms, and are, I believe, 

 due to the direct effect of food and situation. The larva feeds on 

 lichens. 



Christchurch, Castle Hill (3,000 feet), Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu (3,500 

 feet), and probably generally, at rest on walls, fences, rocks, etc., from 

 December to March, very common ; fifty-four specimens. 



