88 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
preceding rain. The call of the adults: in waking up 
in the evening is precisely the same as two men cooe- 
ing to each other from a distance, with the male it is 
louder and hoarser, with the female it is shriller and less pro- 
longed. When confined to the narrow limits of a packing case, 
there is no bird which manifests a greater liking for its kind than 
the Laughing Owl of New Zealand.—W. W. S. 
SYNONYMY OF N.Z. GEOMETRINA.—Cidaria chaotica, Meyr., 
is synonymous with MWelanthia arida, Butl. 
Itama? cinerascens, Feld., is given doubtfully by Mr. Mey- 
rick as a synonym for Harpalyce humeraria, Walk., but they 
differ: much both in contour and in venation of wings. In 
cinerascens 11 and 12 are fused for a short distance, while in 
humeraria they are free. But Sztratocléis streptophora, Meyr., 
is a synonym of /tama ? cinerascens, Feld. The names of these 
two moths will, therefore, stand as Czdaria arida, Butl., and 
Stratocléis cinerascens, Feld., adopting the genera in which Mr. 
Meyrick has placed them. 
Stratocliis cinerascens, Feld.—Costa of anterior wings nearly 
straight between the basal and submarginal lines; outer margin 
irregularly sinuous; a strong projection, often bidentate between 
3 and 4. Posterior wings more regularly sinuous. The male 
answers to Mr. Meyrick’s description of S. streptophora. Anterior 
wings cinereous-brown, speckled with black, whitish yellow about 
the discal area ; a black basal line interrupted and not strongly 
marked except on the costa; median band bounded on the inner 
side by a broad fuscous line spreading out on the outer side into 
the lighter median belt ; discal dot black ; indications of a fus- 
cous much bent line at the outer side of the median belt, some- 
times shown only by a dark mark on the costa; a submarginal 
line of very white crescentic spots touched on the inner side with 
black. Underside of anterior wings whitish-yellow, suffused 
with reddish-brown ; the three dark lines, and the submarginal 
crescents evident near the costa. Posterior wings yellowish- 
white, faintly speckled on the posterior half and suffused with 
brown on the margin ; indications of asubmarginal line of white 
crescents near the abdominal edge; discal dot black. Underside 
of posterior wings whitish-yellow finely speckled with black, a 
submarginal line of black marks faintly touched outside with 
white. Both wings are silky and shining above. Antennze pec- 
tinated. Legs whitish-yellow, speckled with black. Expanse 
of wings about an inch and a half. 
Female.—I have two forms of the female, one has the ground 
colour whitish-yellow and the markings a very light rust-colour; 
the other and more common form has the ground colour a dull 
paper-white, with fuscous markings as in the male. The basal 
line and the third line are more distinct in the female than the 
male, owing to the lighter ground colour. The third line starts 
on the costa, midway between the second line and the submar- — 
