22 INSECTS ABROAD. 



colour. It is owing to this peculiarity of the labium that the 

 insect has gained the specific name of lahiata. 



Its habits are rather peculiar. Unlike our own Tiger Beetles, 

 wliicli are notable for their love of l)right sunny spots, this 

 Therates, though in the climate of the Ke Inlands it might have 

 as much sunshine as it liked, prefers damp and gloomy situa- 

 tions. Yet, even in these localities it dis2:)lay,3 the "well-knovrn 

 characteristics of the Tiger Beetle, running and flying restlessly 

 from spol", to spot with a fussy eagerness, and evidently on the 

 look-out for prey as it darts from leaf to leaf, and then cpiickly 

 scurries over the bioad foliage. 



As is the case with our common ]\Iu^,k Eec-tle, its presence 

 may be detected by the nostril before the eye con take cogni- 

 sance of it. It gives out a powerful and plea?ont odour some- 

 thing like that of roses, which Mr. "Wallace conjecivures to be used 

 for the purpose of decoying the insects on which it fesds. I very 

 much doubt, however, whether this can be th.e case. I have 

 already shown that odours which are disagreeable to us are not 

 necessarily so to other beings, and therefore that we ought not 

 to assume that they are used for the purpose of protection. By 

 parity of reasoning, though an odour may be grateful to u<=;, it 

 does not follow that it should be equally grateful to other 

 beings ; and I therefore find much difficulty in believing tliat one 

 Beetle repels its foes by an odour which is disagreeable to man, 

 and that another attracts its prey by an odour which is pleasant 

 to him. 



INIr. Wallace, to whom I am indebted for the foregoing infor- 

 mation, remarks that in the forests- of the K4 Islands, this and 

 anotlier Tiger Beetle, Tvkomlijla aptera, which will be presently 

 described, were the only two common and conspicuous insects. 

 The name Therates is a Greek word signifying " a hunter," and is 

 very appropriately given to these quick, active Beetles, which 

 apparently spend their whole time in the chase. 



It is rather remarkable that the only two common insects in 

 the forest should be not only Tiger Beetles, but even belong to 

 the same family, the Collyrida?. The name of the se.^ond species 

 is Tricondyla aptera, and, according to M\: AVallace's descrip- 

 tion, it looks vdien alive very much like a large bkok ant, about' 

 an inch in length. At first sight it appears to be quits black. 



