72 



[March, 



capture without a net. One member of this group, Epidelit,s loallacei 

 Thorns., when alive, is covered with a beautiful lemon -coloured powder, 

 which is all too easily rul)bed off, Museum specimens being always of a 

 dirty j'-ellow-brown colour. 



Mt. Matang is difficult to collect upon, as it is everywhere very 

 steep, with the exception of one fairly good path in places, leading to 

 the summit ; and where it is easy to get through the old jungle, it is 

 generally too dark and shady, all the insect-life buzzing about at the tops 

 of the trees. For this reason, on a fine day, the top of the mountain 

 was a good collecting-ground, the summit having been cleared and only 

 small bushes growing there ; the so-called rare things come flying up 

 from the jungle below from all sides, and these, with luck, may be 

 captured with a net. 



At another peak we cleared, at 2500 feet, where there Avas just 

 room for three people to stand and wield nets, on one day six species of 

 Coleoptera came flying ovei- the top, all the same colour-marking, red 

 and black — three Geramhycidae {Ephies dilaticornis Pasc, JEri/thnis 

 apiculatus Pasc, and JE. sp. ?), all rare, two Lycidae, and a Telephorid, 

 all three common. In jungle-collecting a great number of species are 

 taken singly, which are not met with again in a few months" work; but 

 this is bound to happen in thick jungle-c ntry, as it is so difficult to get 

 at their haunts. When one looks down from Matang all round, as far 

 as the QJQ can see, the whole country one sea of trees, imposs"' " to 

 collect in, excejDt on jungle-paths and clearings, to talk of things being 

 rare is probably inaccurate. 



The result of collecting specimens of some of the more conspicuous 

 families during these two months may be of interest. Of Longicornia, 

 50 species of Lamiidae were taken in December, and 20 more added 

 between Januaiy llth-February 15th, most of the December insects 

 having disappeared by then and were not again met with. The Ceram- 

 hycidae were in more equal numbers during this period, 17 species in 

 December, and 19 added in January and February, eight of them coming 

 ti> the flowering-tree, Vernonia arborea. Another family wliich is well 

 represented is the Anth-ibidae, 52 species and a great number of speci- 

 mens, practically all on dead timber, very active and difficult to capture, 

 dead branches generally impeding one's collecting. The Curciiliomdae, 

 as usual, were very plentiful and apparently endless ; I hope a few of 

 these will help towards Dr. Sharp's estimate of 200,000 species for the 

 whole world. I should not be surprised if Borneo produced 10,000 

 species. The three members of the genus Apion captured here all 



