Art. X.—Lepidoptera from the Kermadec Islands. By E. Meyrick, B.A., F.R.S. Communicated by G. V. Hudson, F.E.S. [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 6th October, 1909.] In the following complete list of Lepidoptera taken, those species marked with an asterisk were identified by Mr. Hudson and not seen by me; of the rest, examples were forwarded to me for identification. I will begin by summarising the geographical relations of this portion of the fauna, and then give a systematic list of the species. The total number of species is 46. Of this number, 24 are common insects of wide general distribution, which, owing to their numerical abundance, powers of flight, and adaptation to food-plants of common occurrence, have found their way to suitable stations throughout a more or less large area of the warmer regions of the globe, though one or two of them may be sometimes transported by man: these 24 may be disregarded. It may be noticed that 14 of these have not yet occurred in New Zealand; probably some will still be found there as stragglers, but in general the New Zealand climate is too temperate for them or their food-plants. Of the remaining 22 species, 4 occur also in New Zealand and Australia (one of these, Monopis ethelella, being semi-domestic, and recently found also in South Africa), 6 occur in New Zealand only, 1 in Australia only, 3 in other Pacific islands, and 8 are at present only known as endemic. Since, however, the Lepidoptera of the Pacific islands are very little known, it is highly likely that some at least of these species will be found hereafter amongst other groups of these islands. Of the 8 endemic species, 2 are probably to be regarded as of New Zealand type, 3 of Pacific, and 3 of Australian, but it is quite possible that the 3 last may prove also to have Pacific representatives. In the present state of our knowledge I should think that the above facts indicated that the islands have always been considerably isolated, and have received their lepidopterous fauna by the accidental immigration, across a wide stretch of sea, of specimens carried by strong winds. In the following list of species the number of specimens taken is mentioned in each case; the full geographical distribution of each species is given; and the food-plant of the larva is mentioned whenever known, as it must always be taken into account as a factor in distribution:— Arctiadæ. *Nyctemera annulata, Boisd. 12 specimens. New Zealand. Larva on Senecio. *Utetheisa pulchella, L. 10 specimens. Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Pacific islands, New Zealand. Larva on grasses, &c. Caradrinidæ. Leucania loreyi, Dup. 3 specimens. Southern Europe, southern Asia, Africa, Australia, Fiji.