PIP1EIKI 
461 
Pyrales were also fairly numerous, the commonest being *Mecyna 
maorialis, the restless little Diasemia grammalis, and the pretty 
Sceliodes cordalis, which rests in a peculiar attitude: standing like 
a gnat on the tips of its middle and hind tarsi, the costae of the 
fore-wings making an angle of about 100°; not only are the 
fore-wings somewhat drawn back, so as to cover the hind-wings, but 
the latter are drawn away from the abdomen, which in its turn is 
curled up on high. Other Pyrales that came singly were *Scoparia 
chalicodes, Meyrk.; *S. periphanes, Meyrk.; *S. minualis, Meyrk., 
and *Crambus flexuosellus, also *Tortrix leucaniana. With these were 
several of the Swift, *Elhamma (Porina) signata, Walk., some of 
them of the variety novae-zealandiae. Sundry other creatures, Beetles 
and Grasshoppers, and the Cockroach, *Platyzosteria novae-zealandiae 
joined the merry party, together with a Fly, Exair eta sp., which is 
not in the National Collection. 
On the top of a small hill, perhaps 600 ft. above the river, were 
two large plants of Ragwort in full flower, each of them harboured 36 
*Deilemera annulata. This moth was indeed to be seen everywhere 
at Pipiriki. Near the same spot I missed a very fine Pyrameis 
kershaivi , that must have recently emerged, and not far away I came 
across *Chrysophanus sallustius. 
One afternoon we went a short distance down the river in a 
Maori canoe. Mrs. Longstaff found two species of fresh-water 
Shells in the river; * Potamopyrgus corolla , which was literally in 
thousands, the spiny form greatly preponderating over the smooth; 
and the fresh-water Limpet, *Latia neritoides, Gray, which was in 
plenty, adhering to conferva-covered stones. In the bush on the 
bank, perhaps a mile and a half below the hotel landing place, my 
wife found, under the bark of introduced Willow-trees, numerous 
examples of a tiny Snail, which Mr. H. Suter, of Auckland, considers 
to be a new sub-species of *Laoma celia , Hutton, sub-sp. laevis, Suter. 
She also found the pretty Flammulina crebriflammis , Pfeiff.; 
Therasia Valeria , Hutton, and T. subincarnata , Suter, and among 
dead leaves of Karaka ( Cory nocarpus laevigatus , Forst.), a specimen 
of the introduced Slug, Milax gagates , Drap., var. ravus, Williams, 
which differed from other specimens taken in New Zealand or else¬ 
where by its rich amber colour—much like the fruit of the tree under 
which it was found ; the commoner var. plumbea , Moq.-Tand., of the 
same was found close by, together with the endemic *Janella 
rufovenosa. 
By sweeping rank herbage I got a few specimens of an Australasian 
Bug, Tholosanus proximus, as well as half a dozen of the very 
