28 [February, 



summer, great numbers of a little brilliant green " chafer," Pyronota 

 festiva, Y&h., and perhaps a Longicorn or two. At dusk the fine green 

 Eutelid, StetJiaspis suturalis, Hope, and the smaller brown species of 

 Odontria, are sometimes seen on the wing in numbers, with a good 

 many moths; a few of the latter insects are diurnal in their flight, and 

 two or three butterflies, of w^hieh Fi/rameis (j oner ill a, Yah., is usually 

 the commonest and most beautiful, may be met with in most places. 

 But a little closer investigation, in almost any locality where some 

 part of the original "bush " remains, will reveal numbers of curious 

 and most interesting forms in nearly all the Orders, and the Coleop- 

 terist, at any rate, may rely on filling his bottle by the exercise of a 

 little persevering scrutiny. The great majority of these insects are 

 most efficiently protected by their sluggish and retired habits, and by 

 the close adaptation of their forms and markings to their immediate 

 surroundings. In fact, I venture to afiirm that among the New 

 Zealand insects of all Orders, " cryptic coloration," and " protective 

 resemblance," are carried to a greater degree, and in more frequent 

 instances, than in any other equally well-known fauna ; and this is 

 especially the case with the Coleopfera, in which Order apterous or 

 flightless forms appear to be very numerous, and many species are in 

 consequence exceedingly local. 



In the very useful " Manual of New Zealand Coleoptera,'' by 

 Captain T. Broun (Wellington, N.Z., 1880—1893) 2,592 species are 

 enumerated from the Islands, and the species since described, mostly 

 by the above-named author, bring the total to more than 2,800 known 

 forms of New Zealand beetles, a number which compares favourably 

 with that of the British beetle-fauna on an approximately equal area. 

 But this number is certain to be largely increased as new parts of the 

 Islands are worked, and collecting is more closely carried out. The 

 difi'erent sections of the Goleoptera are most unequally represented, 

 many groups of otherwise world-wide distribution, and some of them 

 especially prevalent in the neighbouring Australian continent, being 

 either entirely absent from New Zealand, or having exceedingly few 

 species indigenous to the Islands. Thus, of the three great families, 

 the BuprestidoB, Scarahceidce, and Getoniadce, all so abundant and fine 

 in Australia, the first-named presents only two small and insignificant 

 species ; the second has a few small forms (Saphobius, Aphodius) 

 found in decaying vegetable matter, there being no true dung-f)eetle ; 

 and the third has not a single representative. The Cassididce are also 

 entirely absent, and the other Phytophaga are very poor in species 



{To he continued). 



