280 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Mr. E. W. Fereday, of Canterbury, has a paper on the Waimarama 

 butterfly, in Vol. VI. of the " Transactions of the N.Z. Institute." In that 

 paper Mr. Fereday mentions two species (or varieties) D. erijjjjus and D. 

 archippas, specimens of both being in the Cauterbmy Museum. The 

 former, D. erippus, having been sent from Melbourne ; the latter, D. 

 archippus, ixom San Francisco. Mr. Fereday doubts our New Zealand 

 butterfly being distinct from D. erippus ; at the same time he prefers gi^dng 

 it the specific name of herenice — which has superseded that of erippus in 

 some published catalogues. 



Mr. Fereday further says, that Mr. Naii-n, of Poureerere, had found 

 some larvse of this insect on plants of GompJwcarpus ovata growing in his 

 garden. It is not at all unlikely that the " cotton plants," whence Mr. 

 Huntley obtained his specimens, were a species of Gomj)liocarpus, fi-om the 

 scrap of a spinous capsule, or follicle, I found remaining in the box ; but 

 the leaves were long and lanceolate, as I subsequently found from Mr. 

 Huntley. I know several species of Gom pilocarpus, but none bearing the 

 specific name of ovata. 



From a portion of a newspaper lately received from a friend, I find that 

 our butterfly, or a species very nearly allied to it, was represented, in two 

 very fair characteristic cuts, in the "Australian Sketcher," of July 12, 

 1873, under the name of Danais archippus, on the authority of Professor 

 McCoy of Melbourne, where it had been lately captured, who says it is 

 found very commonly in America from Canada to Brazil ; but only of late 

 years observed in North Australia, Queensland, and the northern parts of 

 New South Wales, and more recently in Melbourne. 



I venture, however, to doubt our insect being identical with the Aus- 

 trahan one, as therein represented and described; there seems a slight 

 difference in its markings, and a still greater one in its colour. Those 

 differences, however, may be only sexual ones. Should it hereafter prove, 

 on full examination and comparison of specimens of both sexes, to be 

 distinct from both the Austrahan and American insects, I trust it will 

 have, and retain, the name of Danais novcB-zealandia. 



