THE ORTHOPTERA. 107 



and in a few hours its wings are sufficiently hardened 

 for flight. Several other species occur in New Zea- 

 land, one of the commonest being Per/a cyrene, a black 

 insect much resembling S. prasiiia, but considerably 

 smaller ; its larva may be occasionally found, and is at 

 once known by its dark colour. 



Terrestrial Group. 

 Family PS0CIE\E. 



Psocus zealandicus, n.s. (Plate XVI., fig. 2, 2a larva). 



During the hottest days in summer every one must have 

 noticed numbers of minute active insects assembled on 

 garden fences in groups, ranging from ten to fifty, im- 

 mediately dispersing when disturbed. These are indivi- 

 duals of Psocus zealandiats (Fig. 2), a curious little 

 species, closely allied to the renowned " Book Tick " 

 (Atropos pulsatorium), whose ravages in museums and 

 libraries need no description. Its larva (2a) may be found 

 in the same situations as the imago, and often assembles 

 in similar groups. Its food probably consists of rotten 

 wood and other decaying vegetable matter, and in its later 

 stages it is provided with wing-cases, thus differing from 

 the Book Tick (A, pulsatorium), which remains apterous 

 during the whole of its life. 



Family TermitiDzE. 



Stolotermes ruficeps (Plate XVI., fig. 1 £ , ia %, lb "soldier," 

 ic " worker "). 



The termites, or white ants, which occur in such great 

 numbers in the tropics, are represented in New Zealand by 

 several small species, the commonest in this neighbour- 

 hood being Stolotermes ruficeps. 



This species inhabits rotten logs, excavating extensive 

 burrows, resembling in a very humble manner the wonder- 



