The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are reddish-brown; there is a short longitudinal black streak near the base, an obscure yellow transverse line at about one-fourth, and several short oblique brown or yellow marks on the costa; the orbicular is oval oblique outlined very distinctly in yellow; the reniform is white, margined with yellow towards the base of the wing; _there is a black longitudinal streak at the base on the dorsum, which bends upwards at about one-fourth, and runs in a somewhat curved direction to a little above the tornus_. The veins are faintly marked in black, and there are several large yellow dots between the veins near the termen; the termen itself is slightly indented, the cilia are reddish-brown. The hind-wings are greyish-brown with the cilia reddish. There are two very conspicuous curved yellowish stripes on each side of the thorax. The perfect insect appears in September and October. It is a rare species. MELANCHRA TARTAREA, Butl. (_Graphiphora tartarea_, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1877, 384, pl. xlii. 2. _Mamestra tartarea_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 21.) (Plate V., fig. 6.) This species has occurred on the Murimutu Plains in the North Island. In the South Island it is a common species in the neighbourhood of Christchurch. The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings are dark chocolate-brown; there is a short, dark-margined, pale transverse line near the base, and another at about one-third, the claviform spot is small, oval, dark brown, margined with black, the orbicular and reniform are very large, pale brown and very conspicuous; _there is a broad pale brown terminal band, and a narrow shading of pale brown along the dorsum_. The hind-wings are dark grey and the cilia dull white. This species can easily be recognised by the pale terminal band of the fore-wings. The perfect insect appears in March and April. MELANCHRA HOMOSCIA, Meyr. (_Mamestra homoscia_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 21.) (Plate V., fig. 7; Plate III., fig. 10, larva.)|. This dull-looking species has hitherto only occurred in the Wellington district, where it seems to be fairly common. The expansion of the wings is about 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are uniform dark grey; the veins are marked with a series of white dots, preceded and followed by black marks; the orbicular, reniform, and claviform spots are scarcely visible; an indistinct wavy line runs parallel with the termen. The hind-wings are grey; the cilia are white with a cloudy line. The head, thorax, and abdomen are grey. Sometimes the grey colouring is very much darker, and a faint wavy line is present between the orbicular spot and the base of the wing. In other respects the species does not vary.