X.—THE GEOMETRIDAE. 129 
The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The fore-wings 
are dark brown with the basal patch and median band edged 
with slightly waved darker brown and fine whitish lines; there 
is a darker terminal shading, and a fine indistinct wavy whitish 
subterminal line. The hind-wings are bright orange densely 
speckled with blackish from the base to one-third; there is an 
almost straight oblique black line at one-third, a very slender 
much broken median line, a wavy broken subterminal line, and 
a narrow black terminal band. 
The perfect insect appears in January. It is very 
probably often mistaken during flight for Notoreas brephos, 
from which it may easily be distinguished by its larger 
size, browner colouring of fore-wings and simple antennae 
of the male. 
Described and figured from a specimen in the Fereday 
collection. 
DASYURIS PARTHENIATA. 
(Dasyuris partheniata, Guen., Ent. Mo. Mag. v., 93; Meyr., Trans. 
N.Z. Inst. xvi., 92.) 
(Plate XV, figs 47 2a) 
This very bright-looking species has occurred at Wai- 
ouru, on the Tararua Ranges and at Wellington in the 
North Island, and at Mount Arthur, Mount Hutt, Arthur’s 
Pass, Mount Cook, Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu, and The 
Hump in the South Island. 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches. The fore- 
wings are bright orange-yellow,; the base is speckled with black 
and dull green scales; there are one or two ill-defined blackish 
transverse lines at about one-third; a broad wavy dark brown 
band a little beyond the middle, with a projection towards the 
termen, followed by a clear space and another broad irregular 
dark transverse band; the termen is broadly bordered with dark 
brown, which is often almost continuous with the last-named 
transverse band. The hind-wings are bright orange; there is a 
large speckled area near the base edged with a curved black 
line, followed by a clear space, and an interrupted dark brown 
transverse line considerably beyond the middle; the termen is 
rather narrowly edged with a dark brown line, wavy towards 
the base of the wing. The cilia of all the wings are yellow 
barred with black. 
The species varies considerably in the extent of the 
dark markings, especially on the fore-wings. 
The ege is about one-fortieth of an inch in length, 
elliptical, yellowish-white with the surface covered with 
minute hexagonal depressions. 
The young larva is extremely slender with the prolegs 
close together; the head and first segment are pale 
ochreous; the rest of the body is greenish-grey with two 
broad brownish dorsal stripes and numerous black bristles. 
It is very active. The foodplant is unknown. 
The perfect msect appears from October till March, 
and frequents open, grassy situations. At Wellington, it 
may be taken on the cliffs close to the shores of Cook’s 
Strait, flying very rapidly on hot, sunny days, which 
renders its capture very difficult in such steep situations. 
This insect is found from the sea-level up to altitudes 
of about 4,500 feet and, over restricted areas, is sometimes 
very common. 
J 
DASYURIS FULMINEA. 
(Dasyuris fulminea, Philp., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xlvii., 195.) 
(Plate XV., fig. 44 @.) 
A single damaged male specimen of this very distinct 
species was captured by Mr. W. G. Howes on Bold Peak, 
at the head of Lake Wakatipu. 
The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. All the wings are 
deep brownish-black very slightly tinged with dull reddish with 
the lines dull cream colour, slightly reddish-tinged; the basal 
line is curved, slightly angulated; the first line is broad on the 
costa almost straight with an extremely acute angulation below 
the middle; the second line is broad slightly curved without 
distinct indentations. The hind-wings have a rather broad dull 
cream coloured median line. 
The perfect insect appears in February. 
The antennae of the type-specimen in the Dominion 
Museum have been restored in the figure given in this 
work. Until a perfect male specimen is available, it cannot 
be determined whether the species is correctly referred to 
Dasyuris. 
DASYURIS PLUVIATA, n. sp. 
(Plate Xv, fics 314.) 
This species was discovered by Stella Hudson on Field 
Peak, Tararua Range, at an elevation of about 4,500 feet 
above the sea-level. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is 1 inch. The fore- 
wings are smoky-black with very fine curved whitish markings; 
a very obscure basal line; the first line is gently outwards-curved, 
running from about 4 of the costa to + of dorsum; a faint out- 
wards-curved median line, extending above and below the discal 
mark; second line slightly bent inwards below costa at two- 
thirds, strongly bowed outwards to before disc, thence running 
almost straight to dorsum at three-quarters; there is a faint 
indication of a subterminal line on costa at about ~ and a few 
scattered yellow scales on some of the principal veins. The 
hind-wings are pale smoky-grey; a continuous fine whitish line 
below middle, meeting dorsum slightly above tornus, and a series 
of fine whitish subterminal marks; all the cilia are smoky-grey, 
barred with whitish on hind-wings only. The head and thorax 
are clothed with long black and yellow hairs; the abdomen is 
black, with segmental divisions marked in white. On the under- 
side the fore-wings are pale grey, with the costal and apical 
areas broadly bordered with yellow; discal patch white with 
two diffused black dots; second line broad, white, bordered with 
blackish towards base; a subterminal series of confluent white 
spots. The underside of the hind-wings is almost entirely yellow; 
discal area white; a broad white transverse line below middle, 
irregularly edged with blackish towards base; a rather irregular 
broad white subterminal line; the veins on the undersurface 
are marked in yellow. 
This species somewhat resembles D. fulminea, but’ 
lacks the very distinct angulated median line characteristic 
of that species. The lines on the upper surface of D. 
pluviata are also much slenderer than in D. fulminea, and 
there are other differences. 
The perfect insect appears at the end of November. 
It was quite abundant amongst the tussocks, during a brief 
interval of sunshine which fortunately occurred. The 

