lodS.] 211 [Brown. 



families, ■which are looked upon as almost universally distributed. 

 Other remarkable features are that the Avood and water beetles are 

 few, and that tlie flower infesting tribes are very scarce. As a rule, 

 the beetles of Madeira are obscurely colored, gay tints being rarely 

 seen. Of tlie more conspicuous ones the following species are abun- 

 dant beneath stones in Madeira: — Scarites abbreviaiiis , Calnsoma 

 7nade)-a;, Calalhus complanatus, Harpalus vlvidus, Loparoceus morio and 

 Hadnis cinerascens. In Porto Santo and Deserta Grande, the large 

 Euri/gnathus Latreillei is found under similar circumstances. Cobjm- 

 hetes lanio is common in the streams of intermediate and lofty eleva- 

 tions. In certain districts a bright green Dasytes (Dasytes illtis(ris), 

 the beautiful Stenaxls Lowei and the Zonitis quadripunctata arc abun- 

 dant on flowers. The laurels on the mountains are infested by Atlantis 

 lamellipes, Atlantis noctivagans, Blahinotus spinicollis and Trichoferus 

 senex. Cavernous hollows in the basalt and tufa of the lower regions 

 are inhabited by Blaps garjes^ Blaps fatadica, Hegeter elongattis, and 

 several species of Helops\ whilst the great Stromatium unicolor is too 

 well known in the houses of Funchal from the destruction its larva 

 causes to the furniture, on Avhich it chiefly subsists." Mr. Wollaston 

 has presented a fine series of type specimens of the Madeira insects 

 to the British Museum, where they may be seen. 



The remaining orders of Madeiran insects have been less fullv, and 

 none of them exhaustively studied. A very troublesome little ant 

 abounds in the houses of Madeira, and is supposed to be peculiar to 

 the island. It has received the name Q^cophthora pusilla from Prof 

 Heer, who has written an account of this little animal, a translation 

 of Avhicli can be found in the Annals and Magazine of Natural His- 

 tory for March and April, 185G. " This ant swarms on the south 

 side of the island up to the height of one thousand feet, living in 

 societies composed of four classes, namely, laborers, soldiers, males and 

 females. The soldiers have remarkably large heads, and the females 

 are winged. The societies live in the ground, under stones, under the 

 bark of trees, and within houses, always preferring a dry, warm 

 locality. In Funchal there is hardly a house which does not har- 

 bor millions of these creatures, which climb to the highest story, 

 issue in troops out of the smallest crack of the floor, and march in 

 orderly coluvnns to any point which attracts them. They are most 

 abundant in the dry summer months ; after continued wet weather 

 their numbers are perceptibly less. Among the Arachnida, or spiders, 

 there are many beautiful varieties. One, the Lycosa (TaratUu- 

 loides) maderiana Walckn., is reputed to be poisonous. The mitin"- 



