74 t'^p"^' 



White, and M. irrot^atus, Ftwry. The larj;est iudigenous member of 

 the family, the singular Dynastid-like Dendrobla.v earlei, White, was 

 taken, flying at dusk in some numbers, by Mr. Hudson, at Wainui, 

 omatai, a few miles from AVellington, but I did not myself meet with 

 it. Another conspicuous beetle, the large apple-green chafer, 

 Stethaspis sufuralis, Hope, is not rare in early summer, and is some- 

 times seen on the wing by day. The two sole representa- 

 tives of the Buprestidee in the Islands, Nascio enysii, Sharp, and 

 Gisseis eremita, White, are found sparingly by beating near Welling- 

 ton. Two fine forms of the Elateridce, Thoramus loakefieldi, Sharp, 

 and Metahlax acutipennis, White, each fully an inch in length, are not 

 rare, and the last-named is sometimes taken flying in the sunshine ; 

 the very Australian-looking Monocrepidius exsul, Sharp, flies at dusk 

 in grassy places, and some pretty and singular species of the genera 

 Gorymhites, Mecastrus, Geranus, and Protelater, may be beaten from 

 flowers, and are also met with under bark and in rotten wood. Several 

 species of Gyphon (with Scyvinus and Acalles), form the greater part 

 o£ the " small fry " which fall into the umbrella during the operation 

 of beating ; and some pretty Gleridce are taken in this way, including 

 the flat, long-legged, pallid-testaceous Pmipris aptera, Sharp, and the 

 brilliant little purple and golden Phymatophcea electa, Klug. 



The largest forms of the Heteromera are the rugose, brown 

 Syrphetodes marginatus, Pasc, and S. tuber culicostatiis, White, which 

 are common enough under old timber, &c. The stumpy little Para- 

 phylax squamiger, Br., is much less frequently met with, but on one 

 occasion was taken in large numbers by Mr. G. V. Hudson and myself, 

 clinging to the under-side of a large dry fungus resting on a log, its 

 rugose surface and obscure colour making it most difiicult of detection 

 at first sight. In verj rotten wood, the shining brow^n Prioscelis 

 {Ulonid) tenebrionoides, White, and its smaller but very similar rela- 

 tive, Aphthora rufipes, Bates, are very common at times, and the first- 

 named emits a strong but not unpleasant odour very like that of 

 creosote. A fine elongate black beetle, Zolodinus zealandicus, Blanch., 

 and the ^<?Zops-like Artystona wakeJieJdi, Bates, and A. rugiceps, 

 Bates, are found under bark, but the two first-named are scarce. 

 General beating sometimes produces a rather large metallic Cistelid, 

 Tanychilus metallicus, White, and several active forms of Melandryadce, 

 of which the largest and most conspicuous is the beautiful Chalco- 

 drya variegata, Eedt. Species of Mordella, Anthicus, and the larger 

 pallid Cotes, are obtained by beating flowers, and the singular little 

 pyriform Apeosina stewarti, Br., occurs as a rarity under bark. 



