272 Transactions. — Zoology. 



band; a discaj series of white spots and a double series of lunated sub- 

 marginal wliitisli spots ; body below red-brown spotted with white, palpi 

 and inner edge of femora white ; expanse of wings, 3 inches 9 lines. 



Female. — Above black-brown, fringes white-varied ; primaries with a 

 more or less extended tawny patch upon and above the internal border ; an 

 oblique whitish band beyond the cell, more or less divided into five 

 elongated spots, the uppermost (upon the costal area) tinted with lilacine ; 

 a sub-apical whitish spot, from which a series, of small rounded spots 

 extends across the disc ; a double sub-marginal series of interrupted 

 lunulated whitish spots ; secondaries crossed by a broad whitish patch 

 bordered with tawny or pale blue ; a sub-marginal series of spots as in 

 the primaries ; wings and body below much as in the male but redder, 

 with the white markings better defined ; expanse of wings, 3 inches 9 lines. 



The range of this species is pecuhar : it occurs in Java, Australia, New 

 Guinea, and the Loyalty Islands. In Samoa a small representative occurs," 

 of which Mr. Whitmee has recently brought home a good series exhibiting 

 scarcely any variation. 



Dr. Semper, in his paper " Auf der Insel Yap gesammelte Schmetterlinge 

 und deren Verwandlungsgeschichte," says that the larva is similarly 

 marked in Yap, Ebon, and the Samoa Islands, lives long after it is adult, 

 and then becomes a pupa very abruptly. The pupse hang suspended every- 

 where on trees, old stones, etc., and change after twelve days. Breed in 

 November. It is probable that the habits of the larva of typical D. nerina 

 would be similar to that of Samoa. 



Dr. Schmeltz, in his paper "Ueber Polynesische Lepidojotera,'" expresses 

 the belief that the whole of the " species" (Arten) of this section of Diadema 

 are varieties ; his views respecting many of the forms recently characterized 

 as species, show a similar tendency to lumping constant local forms which 

 it is melancholy to contemplate ; many of his conclusions respecting South 

 Pacific species appear to be based upon an examination of series of allied 

 forms from the Philippines. 



Family Lyc^nidse, Butler. 



This family is now separated into two subfamilies — the Lyccenince and 

 the Theclince, to the former of which the whole of the New Zealand forms 

 are referable. 



Subfamily LYCiENio^, Stephens. 

 Lycsena, Fahricius. 



8. Lyccena p)licehe. PI. XII., figs. 2 and 3. 



Lyccena phcebe, Murray, Ent. Mo. Mag., 1873, p. 107. 



* D. otaheitce, Felder. 



