26 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



indication points to a profitable hunting ground, there will hardly 

 ba a beetle in sight. Experience, however, teaches that appearance 

 is often deceptive, and here we have no exception to the rule. 

 In reality the beetles are merely hiding from heat or cold, as the 

 case may be. Personally, I have found such periods among the 

 most profitable for collecting, as one soon gets to recognize the 

 peculiar little heaps of sand thrown out as a badger would throw 

 it out, with the entrance carefully closed. These heaps of sand 

 are more compact than those of wasps so common here, and are 

 therefore easily recognized. The holes are always on a slant, and 

 can be readily traced by pushing a stalk of grass along them. Then 

 by moving the sand carefully the beetle will be revealed ready to 

 rush out, which it will do and escape too, if one is not careful. 

 Their temporary homes are seldom more than six inches long and 

 are never used more than once. On cold or rainy days, however, 

 they will be occupied until the return of fine weather. 



As a rule, tiger beetles retire beneath the ground each night, 

 but occasionally some species at least, acquire that desire for 

 travelling, which is common to nearly all creation in some shape or 

 form and which, of course, is one of the chief factors in the 

 distribution of animals. Then they disregard all their usual habits 

 and with other diurnal insects fly long distances at night, often 

 indeed in the very darkest of nights. Some species of Cicindela, 

 however, do this travelling in the day time when, of course, they 

 run a greater risk of falling a prey to birds. 



Moving down into a hollow, sheltered by spruce and Wolf 

 Willow {Elceagnus), where the sand is no longer drifting, but still 

 shows many bare spots among the sparse herbage, we encounter a 

 form of Cicindela lecontei recently described as a new species by 

 Colonel Casey. It is an interesting tiger beetle, varying from 

 greenish-bronze to rich wine colour and usually having the white 

 markings united into a continuous marginal band. It is not a 

 strong flier, but on account of its habit of remaining on the ground 

 and running to the edge when a net is thrown over it, it often 

 escapes. The larval holes are common here in company with 

 those of Cicindela lengi (venusta). The latter, however, prefer 

 rather more open situations, as does also the adult. 



