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with pink when the insect is alive. In the female all the wings 
are rather sparsely covered with scales; the fore-wings are dull 
brown, darker towards the base and costa; the white discal 
markings are very narrow, and most of the other markings in- 
distinct or absent. The hind-wings are thinly clothed with 
ochreous brown hairs, denser towards the base. 
There is considerable variation in the male both in re- 
spect of the depth of the ground colour and dark shading 
on the fore-wings; also in regard to the number and inten- 
sity of the pale-centred markings near the termen. The 
female varies in size and in the depth of the ground- 
colour of both fore- and hind-wings. 
The larva, which is subterranean in its habits, feeds 
on the roots of tree-ferns and other plants. It probably 
lives for more than a year before reaching maturity. When 
full-grown it is slightly over 2% inches in length, eylindri- 
cal and of almost uniform thickness; the head is rough, 
horny and very dark brown; the second segment bright 
brown, also horny; the third segment ochreous with three 
large, pale brown, chitinous plates; the rest of the body 
is dull ochreous, much wrinkled between the segments; 
there are two rows of obscure warts on the back, each 
emitting a short bristle; the anal segment is dull brown- 
ish-black. This larva is frequently attacked by the 
Sphaerw fungus and converted by it into a ‘‘vegetable 
caterpillar,’’ and many of the specimens which are found 
unquestionably belong to this species. 
The perfect insect appears from December till March. 
Whilst the males are often taken in great numbers at 
lamps the female is very seldom found and, in view of the 
abundance of the male, her apparent rarity must be 
ascribed to extremely seerctive habits. The intense vivacity 
of the male is no doubt an essential attribute which enables 
him to search for, and discover the female in her seclusion. 
PORINA FUSCA. 
(Porimd@ fusca, Philp:, Trans. N.Z. Inst.) xlviz; 1212) 
(Plate XLII., fig. 11 ¢; fig. 10 variety.) 
This rather small, dark-looking species was discovered 
by Mr. Oliver on Advance Peak, Macetown. It has also 
occurred on Mount Grey, North Canterbury, on the Hum- 
boldt Range at the head of Lake Wakatipu at an altitude 
of about 3,600 feet above the sea-level and on Ben Lomond. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is about 14 inches. 
The antennae of the male are rather long and strongly toothed. 
The fore-wings have the costa almost straight and the termen 
rounded, but very slightly oblique; dull ochreous-brown with 
numeious bladckish-grey markings; there are usually three white 
discal spots above the middle in a cloudy blackish streak; a 
conspicuous black streak near the dorsum, extending from the 
base to about $ and containing a large irregular curved white 
mark; there are several irregular grey marks in the disc, a 
wavy subterminal line, and a terminal series of pale-edged black- 
ish spots. The hind-wings are blackish-grey and more densely 
scaled than usual. The female is stated to have light brown 
fore-wings, with the markings almost obsolete and pale brown- 
ish-grey hind-wings. 
There is considerable variation in the extent of the 
ochreous-brown and darker markings, but the double series 

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of white discal spots is a good character. Some specimens 
are very small in size. 
The perfect insect appears in December. It evidently 
frequents open scrubby country, at about 4,000 feet above 
the sea-level, and flies freely just before dark. 
PORINA DESCENDENS. 
(Porina descendens, Huds., Ent. Mo. Mag., lix., 180.) 
(Plate aL, fie 1984) 
Two specimens of this interesting species have been 
taken on Arthur’s Pass at an elevation of about 3,000 feet 
above the sea-level. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is 12 inches; of 
the female 1% inches. The fore-wings of the male are rather 
broad; pale whitish-ochreous with many irregular brown mark- 
ings; the costa is narrowly edged with dull reddish-brown, with 
a well-defined subapical patch; a cloudy reddish-brown subcostal 
marking extends from near tle base to #; a cloudy much darker 
brown subterminal band; a series of subterminal spots involved 
in this; there are traces of an irregular blackish discal streak, 
having at its outer end a sinuation filled in with white; a very 
conspicuous downwards-curved black band is situated above dor- 
sum finely edged with white towards disc; inside the subter- 
minal band and below the subapical patch there is a series of 
faintly-ringed small blackish-brown marks; these are placed on 
the pale ground colour; there is a ‘terminal series of pale spots 
each centred with a black dot. The hind-wings are dark brown. 
All the cilia are brownish-ochreous barred with dark brown. The 
body is clothed with shaggy reddish-brown hair. The antennae 
are bright reddish-brown. The female is almost wholly very 
pale brownish-ochreous. The fore-wings are darker towards the 
base; the markings, which are similar to those of the male, are 
very faint and some are obsolete; the oblique subterminal band 
is absent, but the dark subterminal spots are clearly marked. 
This species is evidently allied to Porina fusca but the 
characteristic dorsal streak is much shorter in that spe- 
cies. The antennae are also stouter than in Porina fusca. 
The perfect insect appears in January. 
The male was described and figured from a specimen 
kindly given to me by Mr. H. Hamilton. The single 
female was taken by myself some years previously. 
PORINA OREAS. 
(Porina oreas, Huds., Ent. Mo. Mag. lvi., 277.) 
(Plate SL 1LVes fe. oe 20 Ol) 
This fine species was discovered by Miss Averil 
Lysaght on Mount Egmont at an altitude of about 3,000 
feet above the sea-level. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is 13 inches, of 
the female nearly 2 inches. The fore-wings of the male are 
chocolate-brown tinged with reddish towards the dorsum with a 
whitish patch in the middle of the basal area; there is @ very 
thick wavy black streak at the base below the middle reaching 
about 4 the length of the dorswm,; this is margined with white 
towards the disc; seven blackish-edged white spots are situated 
on the costal area; a small one on the costa at the base, two 
large ones above the dise before the middle, one each between 
veins 9 and 10 and 8 and 9 and two between veins 7 and 8; 
there is a series of subterminal dusky marks between the veins, 
one or two white-centred, and a cloudy dusky band inside these. 
In the female the ground colour of the fore-wings is redder with 
