VOL. 11. ] Histeride in San Diego County. £339 
the spider from behind with a pencil. With a sudden side jump and 
a rapid dash along beside the lizard, it crawled under his outstretched 
tail and dropped over the edge of the table into the grass. If the liz- 
ard had been lively, the spider would not have fared so well, but as 
it was, it not only escaped, but had more scope for showing its 
instinct. In the first place, instinct seemed to tell that lizards are 
dangerous animals. That is curious enough in itself. In the second 
place, it had learned, or secured by inheritance, the exact strategem 
which could save it from such enemies, if anything could. A lizard 
never devours an insect that does not very perceptibly move. A 
third conclusion that I drew was that the spider knew which 
was the most dangerous end of the reptile. At any rate, it ran 
under the tail, and, though in a decided hurry, seemed to feel safer 
out of range of the lizard’s eyes than in running straight on to the 
other end of the table. Making due allowance for any imagination 
of mine on the last point, it must be conceded that such knowledge 
of lizard habits in a spider shows considerable intelligence. 
NOTES ON HISTERIDA® OBSERVED IN SAN DIEGO 
COUNTY. 
BY F. E. BLAISDELL. 
Hototepta. This genus is represented by six well-defined 
species, two of which I shall desc“*be as new. The individuals of 
each, with two exceptions, are quit. numerous in their season. 
HoLoLeptTa YUCATECA Mars. Found in the decaying fruit 
of Cucurbita, Echinocactus viridescens, leaves and stalks of Opun- 
tia occidentalis. The largest species of the genus, body greatly 
depressed, head extended, with long, prominent mandibles. Men- 
tum flat, impunctate; prosternum narrowed, and rounded at tip; 
sides of body more or less arcuate. | Rather plentiful from May to 
November. ' 
HoLOLEPTA PERVALIDA Sp. NOv. Form strongly oblong, nar- 
rower and much less depressed than yucateca; sides parallel. Men- 
tum nearly flat, strongly punctate laterally, rather sparsely so at 
middle; prosternum intermediate between the preceding species and 
