The purely descriptive portions of the work have been made as brief as possible, and characters, of special importance for the identification of species, are printed in italics. Those who desire to consult more detailed descriptions may readily do so by referring to Mr. Meyrick's papers, in the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute and elsewhere. References to such papers are invariably given under the synonomy of each species which has been described by Mr. Meyrick. It should be mentioned that the figures and descriptions in this work have been prepared from nature, quite separately, and no attempt has been made to reconcile the figure with the description. This course has been followed so that any character, which may have been accidentally omitted from the figure, will not necessarily be wanting in the description. The figures of neuration (Plates I. and II.) have all been made from fully denuded specimens examined under the microscope. They are in nearly every instance considerably enlarged. Each drawing has afterwards been compared with Mr. Meyrick's description, and if found to differ, a second examination of the wings has been made with a view to a reconciliation of results. Any important differences observed between Mr. Meyrick's descriptions and my final results are in every case specially mentioned. {1}NEW ZEALAND MACRO-LEPIDOPTERA. I.--THE CARADRININA. The _Caradrinina_ may be distinguished by the following characters:-- "The maxillary palpi are obsolete, the fore-wings have vein _1b_ simple or hardly furcate, _1c_ absent, and 5 approximated to 4 towards base. The hind-wings are furnished with a frenulum, vein _1c_ is absent, and 8 is connected or anastomosing with cell." (See Plate II., figs. 1 to 12 and 14 to 18.) "Imago with the fore-wings more or less elongate-triangular, termen not very oblique; hind-wings broad-ovate. "Larva sometimes very hairy, usually with 10 prolegs, those on segments 7 and 8 sometimes absent. (Plate III., figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 16.) Pupa with segments 9 to 11 free; not protruded from cocoon in emergence."--(Meyrick.) So far as New Zealand is concerned, the _Caradrinina_ may be said to comprise that group of the Lepidoptera formerly known as the _Noctuina_, with the addition of the family _Arctiadæ_. Its members are chiefly nocturnal fliers; the body is usually stout, the forewings are narrow, and (except in the _Arctiadæ_) mostly dull-coloured, with three very characteristic spots. 1. The orbicular stigma, a round spot situated near the middle of the wing; 2. The claviform stigma usually somewhat club-shaped and situated immediately below the orbicular; and 3. The reniform stigma, a kidney-shaped marking situated beyond the orbicular. The claviform is very frequently absent, and the orbicular less frequently so, but the reniform is an almost constant character throughout the entire group, with the exception of the _Arctiadæ_.