The expansion of the wings is about 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are brownish-grey; _the veins are very conspicuously marked in white_, the orbicular and reniform are large, white, each with a dusky centre; there is a conspicuous, white, transverse line near the termen, emitting two white, tooth-like projections on veins 3 and 4, _and connected with a longitudinal line running to the base of the wing_. The hind-wings are grey with the cilia white. The perfect insect appears from November till January. It was formerly a common species near Rakaia, but is now much scarcer. MELANCHRA PARACAUSTA, Meyr. (_Mamestra paracausta_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 15.) (Plate IV., fig. 28 [M], 28A [F].) This species has occurred in the South Island at Mount Arthur, Castle Hill, and Invercargill. The expansion of the wings is about 1-3/8 inches. _The fore-wings are dull white with an irregular, central, longitudinal, blackish-brown streak becoming very broad towards the termen; there is an oval reddish-brown blotch near the base, but no distinct transverse lines; two conspicuous elliptic, white marks are situated on the termen near the tornus._ The hind-wings are pale grey, with an obscure central shade and a series of brownish dots along the termen. The species appears somewhat variable. In some male specimens the white colouring is largely replaced by pale yellowish-brown. Described and figured from specimens in the collections of Messrs. Fereday, Hawthorne, and Philpott[14]. {16}MELANCHRA INSIGNIS, Walk. (_Euplexia insignis_, Walk., Suppl. 724. _Xylina turbida_, ib. 754. _Mamestra polychroa_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 16. _Mamestra insignis_, Meyr., ib. xx. 45.) (Plate IV., fig. 29 [M], 30 [F].) This pretty species has occurred at Palmerston and Wellington in the North Island, and at Blenheim, Christchurch, and West Plains near Invercargill in the South Island. It is probably common and generally distributed. The expansion of the wings is about 1-3/8 inches. _The fore-wings are pinkish-brown_; there is a short black streak near the centre of the wing at the base, and an irregular, extensive black marking along the dorsum; _the orbicular, reniform, and claviform spots are large, margined first with green and then with black_; a fine white line is situated parallel with the termen, edged with green, and emitting two sharp tooth-like markings; beyond this line the ground colour of the wing is dark-brownish-black. The hind-wings are dull brown, darker towards termen; the cilia are white with a brown line. The antennæ of the male are slightly bipectinated. In the female the ground colour is considerably paler, the black markings much darker, and more suffused, and the posterior half of the reniform is usually creamy-white. Some specimens have the green and black markings slightly more pronounced, but otherwise there are no important variations.