CHAPTER XIII 

 SUNDRY INSECTS 



COLEOPTERA. 



Beetles were not systematically collected on the islands, 

 so that there is not so much to be said about them as 

 about Lepidoptera. 



The first interesting specimen that was met with on 

 the lake shore was a new species of Coprid, which Mr. 

 Arrow informed me was quite unlike anything in the 

 British Museum. I was watching a column of the 

 " Safari " ant (Dorylus) moving from one camp to 

 another, carrying their pupae with them, and saw this 

 flat, black, highly polished beetle running in the column 

 among the ants, who took not the slightest notice of it. 

 That it did not belong to them was improbable, for it 

 took the greatest care to remain in the column, and 

 these ferocious ants most strongly resent the presence 

 of any stranger among them. It is interesting to find 

 that these dread hunters have their familiars. Possibly 

 the larva acts as a useful scavenger in their nests, as does 

 the larva of the Rose beetle in nests of other ants. 



While at Jinja in 1910, I watched with interest the 

 behaviour of some large polished green Coprids engaged 

 in making their balls from the recent droppings of some 

 grazing animal. 



When I first came up one had almost finished 

 making its ball. When it was finished the beetle pressed 



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