4 [June, 
Very large ; the female especially, equalling the species of Apleda in size. 
All the insect is dusky-grey, powdered with paler scales or hairs, and without any 
dark spot : the superior wings are oblong, almost toothed at the hinder margin ; the 
fringe concolorous, not preceded by dots, but the extremity is white in fresh indivi- 
duals ; all the markings are very faint, the median and basal spaces only being 
slightly tinted with pale red, thus showing the elbowed line, which is followed by 
a series of blackish dots, edged with white, and placed on the nervures ; the reni- 
form stigma indicated by some pale scales : the inferior wings paler grey, with slight 
darker clouds ; the under-side is entirely whitish, with a large grey cellular lunule, 
and traces of a median line. The thorax, head, and palpi uniformly grey, without 
markings. The ? is similar to the male, but much larger. 
' Family v. NOCTQID.^. 
Genus Nitoceis, Guenee, nov. gen. 
AnteunsD slender, pointed, simply pubescent in the male. Palpi 
robust, slightly ascending ; the second joint broad, scaly, glossy, spotted 
with black exteriorly ; the third short, but very distinct. Haustellum 
rather short. Thorax quadrate, scaly, and glossy, with a raised collar ; 
the patagia very short, distant, and ordinarily spotted with black at 
the extremity. Abdomen not crested, slender in the ^ , broad, flattened, 
and with protruding oviduct in the $ . Legs with spiny tarsi, the spurs 
long but slender. Wings smooth : superior oblong, almost as broad at 
the base as at the hind margin, which is rounded; the orbicular 
stigma very small and punctiform ; the reniform becoming eroded 
inferiorily, and clearly defined on the exterior border, which appears 
to emit a point beneath ; the terminal space broadly pale : the inferior 
wings marked on the under-side with a broad black spot at the internal 
angle. 
An exclusively Australasian genus. At first sight one would place 
it in the ApamidcB by the side of Oelcena and Mamestra, and I think that 
Mr. Walker has placed in the latter genus all the species known to 
him. To my eye they seem true Noctuidce, related intimately with the 
genus Noctua by owe plecta, which should perhaps be added to them. 
Perhaps one should thus adopt the generic term Ochropleura of Hiibner, 
that Mr. Walker has used for plecta and its allies. 
In order to give a more complete idea of this new genus, I describe 
here all the species I possess, although they do not all pertain to New 
Zealand ; besides I think it probable that nearly all may be found there. 
NiTOCEis BicoMMA, Gueuee. 
Mamestra comma. Walker, p. 239, 40 ?. 
Alee anticce nigro-cinerece, pulverulentcc, strigis duahus geminis nigris, 
