XXX PREFACE 



Dark Clouded Yellow ( Colias cunmnghami), whose female is 

 constantly pale. 



Moths are more plentiful. Of these, Sir George Hampson 

 observes that they are what might be expected to occur, being 

 allied to the insects of the higher Andes with a close parallel 

 to the fauna of New Zealand. Families represented are 

 principally Noctuidce^ Geometridce^ and Pyralidce.^ with a few 

 TortricidoB^ Tineidce^ Saturnidm^ and Hepialidce. The only 

 family apparently absent which would naturally be looked 

 for is that of the ArctiadcB. 



The Moths are throughout remarkable for sombre plumage. 

 Not one in my collection has any vivid colouring. The 

 commonest species, perhaps, is a Geometrid, Lisso2:)s{s virgellata^ 

 whose ghostly forms flitting in all directions enhance the gloom 

 of night. An insect which interested me more than any is a tiny 

 day-flying Noctuid, Anarta trisema, taken in bright sunshine at 

 the same time as the Fritillary. Feltia clerica is a fairly 

 large and handsome Noctuid, of nocturnal habit, likely to be 

 remarked as something out of the ordinary. A large Swift, 

 near to or may be identical with Hepialus luteicorms, of 

 which I obtained a single example, is the largest Moth taken by 

 me. A small Swift {^H. fuscus) is fairly abundant. 



With all there was to do in other ways, 1 could not undertake 

 the systematic collecting of Diptera. Hardly is it possible to 

 arrive at any correct estimate of this order from the results 

 achieved by other expeditions, as the collecting done hitherto in 

 the island is of too scanty a nature, with the exception of the 

 collection made by the French Mission to Cape Horn — and in 

 his work on this. Bigot records no localities. Provisionally, the 

 following families may be taken to occur : — Muscidce (House-Flies, 

 Blue-Bottles, etc.); Syrphidce (Hover- Flies) ; DolicliopodidoB ; 

 EmpidcB ; Ja5rtmV/cc (Horse-Flies) ; Rhyphidce; Tipididw (Crane 

 Flies) ; Limnohidce ; PsychodidcB ; Chironomid(B (Midges) ; Bihi- 

 onidcB ; MycetophilidcB (Fungus Midges). Cidicidoe (Gnats or 

 Mosquitos) appear to be absent. 



