289 



Of the nine endemic species five are clearly of Australian 

 affinity — 



Nesiotica cladara, n. sp. Schoenotenes capnosema, n. sp. 

 Cleora idiocrossa, n. sp. Acroclita macroma, n. sp. 

 Endotricha dyschroa, n. sp. 



Whether the genus Cleora (as distinguished from 

 Boarmia) occurs in New Zealand may be regarded as an open 

 question, but the Norfolk Island species is not allied to any 

 found in New Zealand. Nesiotica is a new genus closely 

 allied to a genus described from Queensland, and the group 

 to which it belongs is not represented in New Zealand. The 

 genera Endotricha, Schoenotenes, and Acroclita are well 

 represented in Queensland, but do not occur in New Zealand. 

 The genera Scoparia and Capua have numerous species in 

 both Australia and New Zealand, and no stress can be laid 

 on the two species described from Norfolk Island. Mr. Mey- 

 rick assures me that they are not closely allied to any New 

 Zealand species. The genus Tinea is cosmopolitan. There 

 remains only Diasemia delosticha, which is the only new 

 species here described clearly of New Zealand affinity. 



So far as these results go, the lepidopterous fauna of 

 Norfolk Island shows only a slender connection with that of 

 New Zealand, but a strong connection with that of Queens- 

 land. Why the connection should be with Queensland rather 

 than with the southern half of the continent is explained 

 by the map. The distance from Norfolk Island to the 

 northern extremity of New Zealand is about 450 miles, to 

 New Caledonia (the next nearest land mass) about 550 miles. 

 Of the lepidopterous fauna of New Caledonia I know nothing, 

 but the 500-fathom line shows a considerable extension of 

 shallow water around that island, together with a much 

 greater extension westward from the Australian coast just 

 north of the tropic. This suggests strongly a former exten- 

 sion westward, bringing Australia and New Caledonia into 

 close connection, not necessarily by dry land, but with only 

 one or two comparatively narrow intervening straits. 

 Measuring from the 500-fathom limits that of Norfolk Island 

 becomes nearly equidistant from those of New Caledonia and 

 New Zealand, the distance being about 350 miles. 



