NOTES ON ALGERIAN AND TUNISIAN INSECTS. 67 



as I subsequently found. The snail retreated unharmed. Can it be 

 that the snail mucus is poisonous ? I fancy this must be so. 



This is not by any means in accord with Fabre's observations, a 

 translation of which will be found in the Century Moi/azine, 1913, p. 

 105. The discrepancy is most puzzling. Fabre's Lampyrids were 

 invariably victorious first anjesthetizing then devouring the snail. I 

 cannot doubt my own observations, though I am sometimes tempted 

 to fancy Fabre's insects almost too clever. 



From Garaet Achkel and Ferryville we returned to Tunis, and from 

 thence took train to Hamman Meskoutine, in East Algeria. This 

 extremely pleasant place stands at an altitude of l,500it, among lime- 

 stone hills. The little stream beds are full of a dense jungle of 

 LentiscKs and similar shrubs, while the hills are mostly covered with 

 olives. Among the olives there are small patches of wild, rocky land. 

 There are many interesting birds and beasts here, and not a few 

 insects either. One collecting ground was, perhaps, more favoured 

 than any other. I refer to the wide meadow in the bed of the stream, 

 which runs between the hotel and the railway. The actual stream is 

 frequently buried in "jungle," but this green and flowery spot is 

 frequented by a good many insects. Here, and in the neighbourhood, 

 we took Pieris brassicae, P. rapae, A. belia, Cr., Euchhye enplievn, L., 

 (jroneptenjx cleoj)atra, Colias edusa, Paranje aegeria 2 , Coenu)iyiii])ha 

 pamp/dliis, Pi/rameifi cardtri, T. ballns and Ftiiwicia plilaeas ; also a few 

 moths, Se.sia [Mocro(ilossa) stellatarnin and Plusia (javiDia, both in great 

 abundance. We were undoubtedly too early for most species. The 

 above list is certainly not interesting, except for the apparent absence 

 of Blues. The following Geoinetridae occurred at light. F.upithecia 

 piimilata and F.. ujiedonata, Mill. (?). Mr. Prout says, these are larger 

 and of slightly diflerent tone to his examples from Hyeres. The food- 

 plant, Arbntus iinedo, quite probably occurs, though none of us noted 

 it. Two males of Hemerophila jopj/f/iaria, Costa, also came to light, 

 as did a $ Mijinodes interpunctaria. The last is unrepresented in the 

 National Collection. Orthoptera* were neglected, but not at all 

 abundant. The Blattid FJctobia jierspidllaris, adult and nymph, was 

 taken. An undetermined small Blattid was only found under the 

 bulb scales of Scilla marithiia, where, however, it was common enough. 

 The well-known earwing Forrinda amicidatia occurred, as larvae and 

 adults. 



The Hymenoptera were more in evidence. I took Kucera ciliata, J , 

 Tiphia viorio, F.2 (under a stone!), (>dy nevus (Hoplopnj;) proha^hly caruli, 

 Moraw, 0. consobrinus,^ , Andrena (jiraiidi, Fncera tricittata, Brulle, S , 

 Boiiibiifi liicoruni, Xylocopa violacea, and workers of Apia inellifica. Ants 

 were abundant, and I captured the following :—Aphenoy aster testaceu- 

 jiilosa, Lucas, Cremastoyaster scutellaris, Oliv., Cainponotns sylvaticiis, 

 Oliv., Messor barbarus, L., Creinastoyaster laestryyon, Emery, Playiolepis 

 piymaea, h-d,iv., Leptothora.v'? nylanderi, Sp. and Aphenoyaster sardoa, 

 Mayr. I also took yiynnecocystiis viotinis, F., with a Lepismid and 

 Tapinoiiia erraticum, Latr., with an Aphid. I hope later to publish a 

 note on myrmecophiles in general. The small chafer Fpicumeth 

 squalida was abundant, but I never troubled to collect any beetles. 



The following Diptera found their way into my net by accident : — 



* Cf., Longstaff, Butterfy Hunter in Mdny Lands, p. 168. 



