198 l^^^Yr 



FselaphidcB and Scydmcenidce. Although well looked out for, no 

 Faussidce put in an appearance. 



In carcases the large, flat, brown Silpha, Ptomaphila lacrymosa^ 

 Schreib., is found not uncommonly ; and under logs Scaphidium 

 (? 4i-pustulatum, Oiiv.) and Scaphisoma occur, as at home. The His- 

 teridce are represented bj Platysoma, Teretrius, and Acritus under bark, 

 and by the brilliant, but common and widely distributed, Saprinus 

 cyaneits, P., in carrion. Several species of the singular genus Brachy- 

 peplus congregate in numbers between the bark and the wood of 

 newly-felled gum-trees ; and under older and more decayed bark are 

 found a species of Oerylon, the fine and Sictive Dendrophay us australisy 

 Er., three species of Brontes (B. austraJis, Er., B. 7nilitaris, Er., and 

 B. lucius, Pasc), two or three of Beretaphrus, a fine and handsome 

 Brostomis {Howitti, Pasc), several very nice little forms allied to 

 Ditoma or Endophlceus, some having curious lobed lateral margins to 

 the prothorax, and the singular rough Meryx rugosa, Latr., all of 

 which, with the exception of the first-mentioned, are more or less 

 common. A Colydium, very like our own New Forest rarity, is found 

 occasionally in company with the above, and the Ti^ogositidcd are re- 

 presented by the beautifully variegated Leperina decorata, Er., which 

 is met with, sometimes in plenty, under loose dry " wattle " bark. A 

 small species of Soronia ? was once found in profusion, in large 

 potato-like galls on the twigs of Acacia decurrens, Willd., formed by 

 a Lepidopterous larva. 



Old rotten stumps produced copiously one of the most beautiful 

 of the Tasmanian insects, the brilliant stag-beetle, Lamprima rutilanSj 

 Er., which varies in colour from metallic golden-red in the ^ to dark 

 bronze-green (rarely dark blue) in the $ . This splendid insect i» 

 often taken on the wing in the hot sunshine. The curious little 

 cylindrical, brown Syndesus cornutus, P., prefers the shades of evening 

 for its flight, and is also found not rarely in very damp rotten logs. Two 

 species of CeratognatJius, C. niyer, Westw., and G. Westwoodi, Westw., 

 prefer drier timber, the latter occurring, but not very commonly, in de- 

 caying " myrtle " trees ; while three or four species of Lissotes, insects 

 closely resembling our Dorcus in aspect, are found in plenty under logs 

 and loose bark, as well as walking on roads and pathways in the evening. 

 The large, shining, pitchy-black Bassalid, Bharochilus politus, Burm., 

 is rare near Hobart in old stumps, but I received it in numbers, with 

 many other fine beetles, from George's Bay, in the north-east part of 

 the island. 



The Copropliaga comprise three or four species of OntJiopliagus, 



