﻿S02 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Zoology, 
  

  

  knew 
  that 
  ifc 
  belonged 
  to 
  the 
  Noctuina 
  group, 
  but 
  that 
  was 
  all. 
  So 
  I 
  sent 
  

   an 
  outline 
  of 
  its 
  appearance 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Fereday, 
  the 
  celebrated 
  entomologist 
  

   residing 
  at 
  Christchurch, 
  enquiring 
  if 
  there 
  were 
  any 
  such 
  specimens 
  in 
  the 
  

   Museum 
  there, 
  or 
  if 
  he 
  knew 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  moth. 
  From 
  Mr. 
  Fereday 
  I 
  

   received 
  a 
  very 
  kind 
  and 
  full 
  reply, 
  that, 
  while 
  there 
  were 
  no 
  specimens 
  of 
  

   this 
  moth 
  in 
  the 
  Canterbury 
  Museum, 
  he 
  had 
  one 
  (a 
  female) 
  in 
  his 
  own 
  

   possession, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  taken 
  some 
  years 
  ago 
  at 
  Nelson; 
  and 
  that, 
  

   though 
  rare, 
  the 
  perfect 
  insect 
  had 
  been 
  described, 
  and 
  was 
  the 
  Dasypodia 
  

   selenojjhora 
  of 
  Guenee.* 
  

  

  And 
  now 
  for 
  a 
  brief 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  perfect 
  insect. 
  

  

  Its 
  size 
  across, 
  with 
  wings 
  extended, 
  is 
  3" 
  3"'; 
  length 
  of 
  body, 
  1" 
  

   0'" 
  ; 
  the 
  body 
  thick, 
  with 
  7 
  segments, 
  but 
  tapering 
  downwards 
  rapidly 
  

   from 
  its 
  second 
  segment 
  almost 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  at 
  the 
  tail 
  (not 
  unlike, 
  in 
  this 
  

   respect, 
  those 
  Avell-known 
  British 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  SphingidcB 
  family, 
  Smerinthus 
  

   tilicB, 
  and 
  Chairocampa 
  i^orcellus), 
  and 
  densely 
  covered 
  with 
  very 
  long 
  

   down. 
  Antennae, 
  nearly 
  1" 
  long, 
  slender 
  and 
  evenly 
  attenuated, 
  but 
  not 
  

   smooth, 
  being 
  apparently 
  very 
  finely 
  and 
  regularly 
  ringed 
  and 
  serrulated 
  ; 
  

   legs, 
  large 
  and 
  stout. 
  

  

  Its 
  colour, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  side, 
  when 
  living, 
  was 
  a 
  sooty 
  black 
  ; 
  but 
  after 
  

   death 
  it 
  changed 
  to 
  a 
  dark 
  umber 
  colour, 
  with 
  dark 
  zig-zag 
  and 
  other 
  

   markings 
  on 
  its 
  wings 
  (somewhat 
  resembling 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  wings 
  of 
  the 
  

   Emperor 
  Moth, 
  Saturnia 
  j^avonia-minorj, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  peculiar 
  large 
  and 
  

   lustrous 
  ocellated 
  spot 
  on 
  each 
  fore 
  wing 
  near 
  the 
  eosta 
  — 
  in 
  a 
  line 
  with 
  the 
  

   anal 
  angle 
  ; 
  all 
  the 
  wings 
  are 
  ciliated, 
  bearing 
  minute 
  whitish 
  dots 
  at 
  the 
  

   extremities 
  of 
  the 
  nerves 
  or 
  rays 
  just 
  within 
  the 
  margin. 
  Its 
  colour 
  on 
  the 
  

   under 
  side 
  was 
  ochrous 
  or 
  fulvous 
  ; 
  the 
  legs, 
  amber-coloured 
  below 
  the 
  

   knee, 
  but 
  its 
  thighs 
  were 
  ochrous, 
  and 
  thickly 
  covered 
  with 
  excessively 
  long 
  

   and 
  waving 
  down 
  ; 
  its 
  horns 
  also 
  were 
  ochrous 
  coloured 
  but 
  darker 
  at 
  

   their 
  bases. 
  

  

  While 
  living, 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  truly 
  superb, 
  rich, 
  velvety-looking 
  creature 
  ; 
  

   presenting, 
  too, 
  when 
  at 
  rest, 
  such 
  a 
  regular 
  and 
  graceful 
  equi-triangular 
  

   outline. 
  The 
  eyes 
  on 
  its 
  wings 
  had 
  (if 
  I 
  may 
  so 
  express 
  myself) 
  a 
  living 
  

   look, 
  much 
  as 
  the 
  irises 
  of 
  the 
  eyes 
  of 
  men 
  and 
  animals 
  are 
  sometimes 
  

   drawn 
  when 
  represented 
  under 
  bright 
  light. 
  Those 
  spots, 
  or 
  eyes, 
  were 
  all 
  

   alike, 
  black, 
  but 
  the 
  two 
  cii-cular 
  rims 
  round 
  each, 
  and 
  the 
  Innate 
  or 
  

   triangular 
  iris-]Dupil-like 
  part 
  within 
  were 
  shining 
  lustrous 
  and 
  waxy, 
  or 
  as 
  

   if 
  strongly 
  gummed. 
  What 
  with 
  its 
  fine 
  moony 
  eyes 
  on 
  its 
  wings, 
  and 
  its 
  

   long 
  wavy 
  down 
  on 
  its 
  thighs, 
  it 
  well 
  deserved 
  its 
  expressive 
  name, 
  both 
  

   generic 
  and 
  specific. 
  I 
  could 
  not 
  help 
  thanking 
  its 
  describer, 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  

   often 
  that 
  we 
  find 
  so 
  fit 
  and 
  distinguishing 
  a 
  name 
  given 
  in 
  these 
  modern 
  

  

  * 
  In 
  Species 
  General 
  dcs 
  Lepidopteres 
  Nocturnes, 
  

  

  