The perfect insect is very common in dry, stony places, generally near river-beds, during January, February and March. It flies only a short distance when disturbed, but is very quick on the wing, and hence difficult to catch until one becomes accustomed to it. In some places these little butterflies are so abundant that they take wing like a swarm of blow-flies. They seldom open their wings whilst at rest, so that when perched on the ground they are very inconspicuous. Genus 2.--LYCÆNA, F. "Eyes hairy. Club of antennæ elongate. Fore-wings with vein 6 separate, 8 and 9 stalked. "A large genus of nearly universal distribution. Imago usually with a horny apical hook on anterior tibiæ. Larva short, stout, attenuated at extremities, with short hairs. Pupa attached by tail and often a central belt of silk, or unattached or subterranean."--(Meyrick.) Represented in New Zealand by two species. LYCÆNA PHOEBE, Murray. (_Lycæna phoebe_, Murray, Ent. Mo. Mag., 1873, 107.) (Plate XII., fig. 10, 11 under side.) This little butterfly is extremely abundant in the neighbourhood of Nelson. I have also taken it in plenty in several localities in the Wellington district, and suspect it is common throughout the North Island. In other parts of the South Island its place appears to be taken by _L. oxleyi_. The expansion of the wings of the male is 1 inch, of the female 7/8 inch. On the upper side all the wings are pale blue, broadly bordered with dull brown. The cilia are white, faintly barred with brownish. _On the under side all the wings, are pale slaty-grey._ There is a faint blackish spot, edged with white, near the middle of the fore-wings, and two rows of similar spots near the termen. The hind-wings have several very faint white-edged spots near the base, a row near the middle, and another row almost entirely white near the termen. The perfect insect frequents waste grounds and sandhills, generally beside roads and river-beds, and when found is usually very common. It is on the wing from the beginning of October until the end of March. LYCÆNA OXLEYI, Feld. (_Lycæna oxleyi_, Felder, Reise de Novara Lep. ii., 280, pl. 35, fig. 6, 1865.) (Plate XII., fig. 12 under side.) According to Mr. Enys[58] this butterfly is common in both islands. I have taken specimens in the Canterbury and Nelson districts.