X—THE GHOMETRIDAE. 105 
the others, and have a broad space on each side of them; all the 
lines are clearly marked on the abdomen, so that each line 
appears to be continuous from one side of the moth to the other. 
The egg, which is laid on its side, is oval, somewhat cylin- 
drical, not flattened; vivid green with the surface covered with 
moderately small shallow hexagonal depressions. Four days 
after laying extensive irregular red blotches appear. 
The length of 'the larva when full grown is about one inch; 
itis much flattened and of fairly uniform width, slightly tapering 
posteriorly with the segmental divisions distinct; green; the head 
is ochreous with two brown stripes near the top and one at each 
side; there is one broad and one narrow reddish sub-dorsal line 
and a conspicuous blackish-brown lateral line; the anal flap and 
prolegs are tinged with dark brown; the third and fourth seg- 
ments each have a row of black warts; the remaining segments, 
except the last, have four black warts on the back and three on 
the side; there are a very few short bristles. 
This larva feeds on the leaves of the Cabbage Tree 
Palm (Cordyline australis) and its flattened shape enables 
it to readily penetrate between them. It eats large oblong 
notches out of the leaves, coming abroad to feed at night. 
The pupa is enclosed in a very thin network cocoon 
composed of silk and rubbish and placed on the surface of 
the ground. 
The perfect insect appears from October till May, hyber- 
nating specimens being not infrequently noticed, on mild 
days, during the winter and very early spring. It frequents 
places where Cabbage Tree Palms are abundant. Mr. Fere- 
day first observed that the moth always rests on the dead 
leaves of the plant, keeping its wings in such a position 
that the lines are continuous with the parallel veins of the 
dead leaf, which they precisely resemble in appearance. 
We have, I think, in this species a most instructive instance 
of special adaptation to surrounding conditions; and the 
action of natural selection, in preserving favourable varia- 
tions of colour and habit, appears to be here unmistakably 
indicated. Had our investigations been confined to the 
examination of cabinet specimens only, we might have long 
remained in the dark as to the explanation of such an 
unusual type of wing-marking. 
VENUSIA CHARIDEMA. 
(Venusia charidema, Meyr., Sub-antarctic Islds. of N.Z. i., 70.) 
(Plate) XIII; fis; 6 @, 7 9.) 
This interesting species was first discovered at Auck- 
land Island, as a result of the scientific expedition to the 
Southern Islands of New Zealand, which took place im 
November, 1907. It also occurs plentifully at Campbell 
Island, and has subsequently been found in beech forests 
on the eastern side of Wellington Harbour, as well as on 
Flagstaff Hill, Dunedin, Ben Lomond and Bold Peak, 
Lake Wakatipu. 
The expansion of the wings is about 1} inches. The fore- 
wings, which have the apex rather prominent and the termen 
oblique are ochreous-brown in the male, reddish-ochreous or 
bright orange-brown in the female; both sexes have a broad 
cloudy blackish-grey streak from below the apex to the middle 
of the dorsum, and there are, in the male, in addition, three or 
four fine greyish streaks on the subterminal area and the veins 
are dotted in black and white. The hind-wings are greyish- 
ochreous in the male; reddish-ochreous or orange-ochreous in the 
female; the male has several greyish transverse lines on the 
terminal area and the veins on the basal area are marked in 
dark grey; in the female the markings on the hind-wings are 
very indistinct. 
The perfect insect appears in November and Decemher, 
and may be looked for on hills, or near the sea-coast, where 
there is an abundant growth of Dracophyllum longifolium, 
on which its larva probably feeds. 
VENUSIA AUTOCHARIS. 
(Venusia autocharis, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., lv., 202.) 
This very bright-looking species has occurred’ common- 
ly at Whakapapa, Mount Ruapehu, at an altitude of about 
4,000 feet above the sea-level. 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches. The fore- 
wings are very bright orange-brown, with a broad blackish-brown 
band from the apex to the middle of dorsum, and several very 
fine lines between this and the termen. In the male there are 
sometimes a few obscure darker dots on the veins near the 
termen, The hind-wings are ochreous, broadly clouded with 
orange-brown along termen and dorsum, 
The female of this species can hardly be distinguished 
from the same sex in Venusia charidema, but in V. auto- 
charis both sexes are almost identical both in colour and 
wing-markings. 
The perfect insect appears in January, and is common 
in the sub-alpine forest. 
VENUSIA UNDOSATA. 
(Cidaria undosata, Feld. Reis. Nov. pl. cxxviii., 2. Hpiphryne 
undosata, Meyr., Trans, N.Z. Inst. xvi., 60; citrinata, Warr. 
Nov. Zool., 265.) 
(Plate XIII, figs. 1-3 @ varieties, fig. 4 9; Plate I., fig. 43 larva.) 
This neatly marked little insect appears to be gener- 
ally distributed throughout the country. 
The expansion of the wings is hardly an inch. All the wings 
are pale yellow with a variable number of fine jagged reddish- 
brown transverse lines, which are usually most distinct towards 
the termen. The fore-wings have a broad band of reddish-brown 
along the costal edge; a blackish dot above the middle just 
touching the costal band, and a small brown mark near the apex. 
The hind-wings have a minute black dot a little above the 
middle. 
This species is very variable: in some specimens the 
transverse lines are much broader, forming bands of 
reddish-brown; in others the whole of the wings are dull 
reddish-brown, except a small yellow area near the base; 
whilst others are entirely dull greyish-brown with the 
transverse lines very fait (fig. 1), intermediate varietes 
between all these forms also occurring. Generally speak- 
ing, North Island specimens (fig. 2.) appear to be more 
vividly coloured than those from the South Island. ‘Speci- 
mens from the West Coast of the South Island and far 
south (figs. 3 and 4.) are usually very pale in colour, with 
all the markings extremely faint, and are larger than those 
taken elsewhere. 


