270 (December, 



shaking them over paper many pretty little StapJiylinidcs, Clnvicomes, 

 GleridcB (not^'bly the lovely little Lr.midia hihtris, Newm., most vividly 

 coloured with vermilion atid blue-bhtck when alive), Lonrjicornes, and 

 vi'eevils, including the very remarkable Methj/phorn postica, Pasc, are 

 to be obtained. 



The sandy beaches at Botany Bay, Bondi and Manly yield their 

 quota of interesting beetles, the Heteromerous genera Sohns, Lngri- 

 oidn, Saraqus, Mecynotarsus (alheUus, Pasc, almost entirely white in 

 colour), and numerous pretty little species of Anthicus, being found 

 at the roots of maritime plants, while Scymenn, TrachysceHs, Bledius, 

 Cafiiis, Acritus, and the singular weevil Ap^iela algarum, Pasc, occur 

 on the sand under seaweed at and below high-water mark. The large 

 red-headed Creophilus erythrocephalua, Fab., and the brilliant green 

 Sapriniis ausfralics, Blaekb., abound equally on carrion inland and 

 under dead fish on the beach, and in the latter situation the very 

 singular pallid Nitidula-Yxke Staphylinid Sartallus siynatm, Sharp 

 (Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. vii, p. 217), sometimes occurs in abundance. 

 Early in the summer Cicindela ypsihn, Dej., makes its appearance on 

 the shore in large numbers, its pale ochreous-white colour matching 

 that of the snnd with such marvellous accuracy that the beetle is often 

 most easily detected by its shadow, nnd even when seen its wariness, 

 and the promptitude with which it takes to wing when approached, 

 render it very diflScult to capture. The only other Cicindela observed 

 by me near Sydney, C. mnsfersi, Cast., a small dark bronzy species, was 

 met with on one occasion only (March 24th, 1900) at El vers ton near 

 Parramatta, on wet mud by the roadside, where it was as well pro- 

 tected as its seaside congener by its activity and assimilation to ils 

 surroundings. 



Coprophagous beetles are on the whole not very much in evidence, 

 though some nice forms of Onthopliagus and allied genera are to be 

 found in their usual habitat, and our Aphodius granarius^ L., and 

 lividus, 01., are the commonest species of their genus. Two or three 

 species of Trox may be met wnth under dry carrion, &c., with occa- 

 sionally the large and handsome brown Silpha-]\ke PtomapMla lachry- 

 mosa, Schreib. On one occasion I made a great haul of Trox 

 australasicB, Er., under an old felt hat lying in bare hot sand. The 

 water-net yields a good variety of Hydradephaga and Pliilhydrida, 

 mostly of small forms, and of course including the very widely spread 

 Rhantus pulverosus, Steph., but the fine large Homcdodytes {Ci/hister) 

 scutellaris, Grerm., I have only taken flying to the electric arc lamps 

 near the Botanic Gardens. Several Gyrinidce, some, as Macrogyrus 

 ohlongus, Bdv., of considerable size, are abundant on the surface of 

 running as well as standing water. 



("To be continuedj. 



