VOL. III.] Histeridce in San Diego County. ' . 337 



the spider from behind with a pencil. With a sudden side jump and 

 £ 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, tlie 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 HISTERID/E OBSERVED IN SAN DIEGO 



COUNTY. 



BY F. E. BLAISDELL. 



HoLOLEPTA. 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 quite numerous in their season. 



• 



HoLOLEPTA YUCATECA Mars. Found in the decaying fruit 

 of Ciicurbita. Echinocadus zmidescens, 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 \\\'AViyiicateca; sides parallel. Men- 

 turn nearly flat, strongly punctate laterally, rather sparsely so at 

 middle; prosternum intermediate between the preceding species and 



