HARDWICKE'S SCIEN CE- G S SIP. 



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ferred my centre of operations to Prat ; where 

 Pierre Manaiid, of Cazavet, the regular entomolo- 

 gists' guide, conducted me to all the grottos of the 

 neighbourhood. I strongly commend Manaud to 

 future explorers, as 1 am confident they will be 

 satisfied with his services. 



The cavern of Peyort, which has hitherto afforded 

 only Anophthalmus cerbenis, and that but sparingly, 

 was the one in which I made the most interesting 

 captures. At the extreme end I met with a form 

 of All. Orpheus intermediate in aspect and size 

 between the true Orpheus (such as it appears at the 

 entrance of the Aubert Cave) and comorramcs, as 

 found in the grotto of Aspet. My discovery con- 

 firms the suggestion of M. Dieck, that the latter is 

 simply a variety cf Orpheus, in opposition to M. 

 Abeille's opinion, who would raise it to the rank of 

 a species. 



It is worthy of remark that the Orpheus of Peyort 

 buried in semi-fiuid clay at the extremity of an 

 absolutely dark cave, is nevertheless as brightly 

 coloured as individuals of the same species which 

 revel in the direct rays of the sun at the entrance 

 of the grotto of Aubert ! 



A)iop]ithahnHS cerberus abounded in the same 

 locality, running over the mud, and with it 1 took 

 four specimens of a new Anophthalmus {An. tere- 

 das, mihi), belonging to the Aph/eiiops group ; but 

 sufficiently distinguished by the size of tiie head 

 and the more robust form. 



The grotto of Estellas, the special locality of 

 An. cerberus, gave me tliat species in abundance. 

 I found besides thirty examples of Adelops infemus, 

 and a solitary female of a species which I took to 

 be Ad. Ehlersi, originally discovered in the grotto 

 of Saleich. This last-named cave afforded me four 

 All. cerberus, a few Ad. infemus and ovatus, but not 

 a single Ehlersi. 



In the grotto of Aspet, seventeen or eighteen 

 miles from Prat, I found three individuals of An. 

 Orpheus, var. consorranus, buried in the slope near 

 the entrance ; but the finding cost me several hours' 

 work with the pickaxe. 



I also picked up four specimens of Ad. lapidicola 

 under the stones scattered over the floor, and a 

 large supply of Ad. ovatus, a species which abounds 

 in this cavern, especially beneath the stones, resting 

 upon heaps of what appears to be old decomposed 

 guano of bats. 



Keturning to Saint Girons on the 26th September, 

 I remained there four days for the purpose of 

 making excursions to Mas d'Azil and Sainte Croix, 

 in the former I found Adelops Abeillei in consider- 

 able quantities, but no Anophthalmus trophonius, as 

 I had expected. I employed the rest of the day 

 in visiting the huge cavern of the Mas on the left 

 bank of that stream. The cavity is not very deep, 

 but has a wide opening ; nor is it absolutley dark 

 in any part. At the time of my visit it had become 



a little dry : in spite of tliis I captured in a short 

 time several specimens of Pholenon Querilhaci, a 

 few Adelops Abeillei, a single Anophthalmus cerberus, 

 var. iiunqualis, and two individuals of a new 

 Adelops, to which I gave the name of Ad. cras- 

 sicoriiis. 



On the 1st of October I went from Saint Girons 

 to Massat. Near Massat, on the side of a hill 

 named Le Gueire or Le Ker, two spacious caverns 

 open out one above the other. In the upper one I 

 took a few examples of Adelops Discontignyi, and 

 another species which answers to the description of 

 Ad. zophosinus, but which I dare not affirm to be 

 that insect before comparing it with the type, as it 

 has not hitherto been found in the caverns of Massat. 



The lower cave is the dwelling-place of bats; 

 never have I seen so large a number of these dis- 

 gusting creatures collected in one place. The floor, 

 the walls,--in fact, the whole cavern — is covered with 

 their excreta, the heaps of which are infested by 

 myriads of dipterous larvse, and in some cases 

 swarming with acari to such an extent, that the 

 ground is completely hidden from view. Hundreds 

 of Pristoiiychus pyrenceus crawl over the piles of 

 guano, and fatten on the easily-captured prey, 

 which this countless population offers them. They 

 are in turn tormented by the mites {acari), which 

 attach themselves to their bodies in great numbers . 

 and it is, perhaps, to escape from these pests that 

 they are so constantly seen creeping along the 

 walls of the cavern. Here they appear to live ou 

 good terms with the numerous spiders which spread 

 their webs on every side. 



The next day I went from Massat to Ussat, 

 passing by Bedeillac, where there are several caves 

 worth visiting. In one of them, remarkable for its 

 dimensions and the richness of its stalactites and 

 stalagmites, I found several specimens of Ad. pyre. 

 nmus. Leaving Ussat on the 3rd, I visited the 

 famous grotto of Lombrive. or Echelles, the largest 

 and perhaps most beautiful in the Pyrenees, and 

 well known to entomologists as the home of the 

 rare Aiioph. Ilinos. It lias, however, been sought 

 for in vain for some time now. I was not more 

 fortunate than my predecessors, and was obliged 

 to be contented with some specimens of Fholenoii 

 Querilhaci and Ad. pyrenceus. 



Two days after this I reached Lavelanef, where 

 I was told there was a cave. My informant, how- 

 ever, forgot to tell me that the floor of the cave 

 was entirely occupied by a deep stream, which sup- 

 plies the public fountain in the neighbouring town. 

 I persevered, nevertheless, waded through the ice- 

 cold water up to my middle, and was rewarded for 

 my boldness by the capture of a dozen specimens 

 of an entirely new ^^(?/o/?.y {Ad. Pmm, mihi), which 

 were crawling over the sides of the grotto. 



De la Bbulerie, in Fetites Nouvelles Ento- 

 mologiques de 1872-73. 



