THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 25 



Almost the first plant to attract our attention as we climb 

 into the loose sand is the beautiful Veined Dock, Rwnex venosus. 

 Just now, however, its chief attraction lies in the fact that it 

 harbours three different species of beetles. First there is that 

 bright little Chrysomelid, Gastroidea formosa, whose colour is in 

 striking contrast to the sand, but harmonizes, instead, with the 

 plant it feeds upon. Then there is an active, narrow, black beetle, 

 probably Anthiciis monticola Casey, and lastly a species closely 

 related to the famous Alfalfa Weevil, namely, Phytonomus 

 qtcadricollis. This beetle is very apt to be overlooked unless we 

 inspect the plants closely, its colour both above and below being 

 almost identical with the sand, and then it has a habit of clinging 

 to the stems near their base when it often becomes partly buried 

 by the drift. Lastly, added to its remarkable protective 

 colouration, are its habit of shamming death whereby it may easily 

 be lost among the sand. The larvae feed upon the plant and later 

 spin silken cocoons among the leaves, where they change to pupae, 

 and towards autumn to beetles, passing the winter in this stage, 

 presumably buried among the leaves and sand. 



Having passed the objects just discussed and climbed upon 

 the sand to where it is level, probably the first object to attract 

 us will be a species of tiger beetle called Cicindela limbata, a 

 beautiful little creature which delights in the pure drifting sand 

 with perhaps on odd clump of grass for shelter. It is here in 

 hundreds running actively about and readily taking wing when 

 disturbed; but it is not a strong flier and consequently seems to 

 depend largely upon its protective colours to escape capture, 

 which, however, avails little when man is the hunter. Larval 

 holes are common enough, being more often met with in the 

 valleys where they are somewhat sheltered from the wind. They 

 are quite shallow burrows, in fact, the shallowest of any of our 

 local species. Two sizes occur at this time, those containing laryae 

 that are about to change to pupae, and others much smaller which 

 have yet a full year in which to do so. 



A collector visiting a situation like this for the first time, and 

 not knowing the habits of tiger beetles, is apt to be disappointed if 

 the day be either unusually hot or cold. For while every 



