462 NOTES ON VARIOUS INSECTS. 



white hair, and the anus and legs have a fringe of black hair. 

 I had previously been looking for the nests of ant-lions; and 

 walking along the sea-shore, came to a part of the sand in 

 which was an excavated ring, about four inches in diameter, 

 and so mathematically circular, that I perceived at once that 

 it was the work of some insect. Observing the sand move at 

 one part of the circumference, I dug up this Myrmeleon larva, 

 attempting to devour a beetle {Asida grisea). I placed them 

 both with some sand in a pocket collecting box, and took them 

 home, and saw it again seize the beetle, dragging it under 

 ground, where it held it for nearly three hours ; but the shell of 

 the beetle proved so hard, that it eventually escaped uninjured. 

 I often caught a similar larva afterwards, but always lurking 

 in the sand ; and as I looked for its pit, it is not probable that 

 that of such a large larva would escape my researches had it 

 constructed one. This larva appears to prey principally on 

 heteromerous beetles, such as Pedinus, Tentyria, Asida, 

 Helops : also on the Otiorynchi, which are so common on the 

 sands about Lixurie. Its bite is very severe. 



Ascalaphus Ilalicus was common on Mount St. Salvador, 

 in Corfu. 



17. Cetonia aurata, quercus, and metalUca, are found in 

 the summer months in Cephalonia. C. aurata is rather un- 

 common. I used to find it on a wild white rose ; and on one, 

 to my great surprise, I discovered seven or eight of the Pedi- 

 cuius, or rather larva of Meloe, according to the observations 

 of Mr. Newman and others ; they were linear, pale, testaceous, 

 and I line in length, and I subjoin a magnified figure, which I 



sketched at the time. The C. quercus and C, metaUica were 

 at first common on the thistle, but after most of the thistle tribe 

 had done flowering, I found them principally on the Ulrmts 

 campestris, or elm. They were attracted to these and quince 



