THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 147 



above. Sometimes the grub remains in the branch blown down, 

 sometimes in the other portion, in which latter case it is very 

 difficult to obtain without the aid of an axe. My specimens 

 have all been secured from the blown down branches, and the 

 beetle generally emerges about the following August or Sep- 

 tember. All that is necessary is to place the wood in a box with 

 a glass front and a fine gauze or wire back. Of course I have 

 not been successful with every larva I have taken, many 

 unfortunately dying, owing to the sap of the wood drying up so 

 quickly. 



In examining the branch, if the tunnel is open it is more than 

 likely there is no grub in it, but should it be plugged up then it 

 is almost certain to be there. In a branch where there is a grub 

 a careful examination will reveal several very small holes, from 

 which, presumably, the casts or gnawings of the grub are ejected ; 

 at all events, if a grub is followed down, the tunnel will always be 

 found clean and clear, wherein it altogether differs from the grubs 

 of the numerous species of Phoracantha — also longicorn beetles — 

 which seemingly eject nothing, but leave all their casts behind 

 them, and when found are in a chamber just sufficiently large 

 to hold them. It is wonderful the long tunnels some of the 

 grubs of the longicorn beetles will make, and if one wants to 

 form an idea of the rapidity with which they work, let him get a 

 branch containing a grub of Scolecobrotus Westiooodii, place it on a 

 table at night, and in the morning he will see thrown out a pile of 

 little oval pieces of wood that will fairly astonish him. How often 

 do we hear people speak of the many branches blown down by 

 the wind — blown down they certainly are, but there would not be 

 a fourth of the number were it not for the grubs of Scolecobrotus 

 and other longicorn beetles. 



With the beetles are examples of the branches from which I 

 have bred them. The single specimen of beetle differs from the 

 others in being much rougher, but I fancy it is only a variety, 

 although a rare one, for it is the only specimen I have taken. 1 

 found the larva in a piece of dry wood which I accidentally 

 picked up when out collecting, and scarcely hoped or expected to 

 find anything in it. 



D. Best. 



OBSERVATIONS ON XEBOTES SOBOBIA, 



F. V. MllELLKR. 



By J. G. Lukh.mann, F.L.S., 



Curator of the National Herbarium. 



Some time ago I received from Mr. H. B. Williamson, 

 of Hawkesdale, a specimen that had been collected by Miss 



