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correction of the synonymy of the known species; (2) the omission of names which have been erroneously included in our, fauna; and (3) the description of the new species which are in the collection of the Canterbury Museum.

The omission of species which have been placed erroneously on our list is a difficult task, for some insects are so local and so irregular in their appearance that they may escape a second capture for a long time. Nevertheless, it is necessary that the work should be attempted, and I have therefore omitted all those species which I do not believe were ever taken in New Zealand. Most of these omitted species were originally stated to have been found near Auckland during the short stay there of the Austrian frigate "Novara" in 1859, but have never been found since. Several of these are now known to occur in other countries. In these cases there can be no doubt but they have been put down to New Zealand in error, and this makes it probable that there may be other mistakes which have not yet been found out. Indeed, the localities of the insects given in the "Voyage of the 'Novara'" must always be looked upon with suspicion until confirmed by some other collector. I have seen no description of Paramenia semiauriceps, Brauer and Bergenstamm (Denk. Akad. Wissen. Wien, vol. 56 (1890), p. 171); but as it belongs to a family (Dexidæ) which, to the best of my knowledge, does not occur in New Zealand I have omitted it also.

I have to thank Captain T. Broun for sending me a col- lection from the Auckland District, Mr. G. V. Hudson for one from Wellington and Nelson, and Mr. W. W. Smith for a collection made at Ashburton, in Canterbury. By these means the Museum now contains most of the described species. Those that are still unknown to me are mentioned in the text. I have included the introduced species as well as the natives, partly because collectors might be puzzled by them if descriptions were not given, and partly as a record of what species- have been introduced and when they were first recorded, if that is known.

This list includes 191 species, of which six are doubtful inhabitants^[1] but which I retain for the present. Of the remaining 185, ten or eleven have been introduced from Europe, and three probably from Australia or the islands, thus leav- ing 171 or 172 native species. Of course, many more remain to be discovered. The most remarkable species are Exsul singularis and Cerosomyia usitata. Unfortunately, I have only a single specimen of each, but I could not pass them over on that account.