60 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



attracted by the sight of the prey, would advance cautiously 

 from the circumference, but generally stop short about half- 

 way up the web, evidently afraid to come within reach of the 

 owner, thus having to content themselves with looking at the 

 provisions, like hungry urchins nosing the windows of an 

 eating-house. Sometimes one would advance closer, but the 

 owner would, when it came within reach, quickly lift up one 

 of its feet and strike at it, like a feeding-horse kicking at 

 another that came near its provender, and the little intruder 

 would have to retire discomfited. These little spiders probably- 

 feed on minute insects entangled in the web, too small for the 

 consideration of the huge owner, to whom they may be of 

 assistance in clearing the web." — P. 110. 



Tiger-beetles and Ants. — "In some parts brown tiger- 

 beetles ran or flew with great swiftness; in others, leaf-cutting 

 ants in endless trains carried along their burdens of foliage, 

 looking, as they marched along with the segments of leaves 

 held up vertically, like green butterflies, or a mimic repre- 

 sentation of a moving Birnam Wood. Sometimes the chirping 

 of the ant-thrushes drew attention to where a great body of 

 army-ants were foraging amongst the fallen branches, sending 

 the spiders, cockroaches and grasshoppers fleeing for their 

 lives, only to fall victims to the surrounding birds. On the 

 fallen branches and logs I obtained many longicorn-beetles ; 

 the wood-cutters brought rae many more; and from this 

 valley were obtained some of the rarest and finest species in 

 my collection. On the myrtle-like flowers of some of the 

 shrubs large green cockchafers were to be found during the 

 dry season, and bright green rosechafers were to be found 

 also common. I was surprised to find on two occasions a 

 green-and-brown bug (Pentatoma punicea) sucking the juices 

 from dead specimens of this species." — P. 127. 



Migrating Butterjiies. — "As we rode along great numbers 

 of a brown-tailed butterfly {Timetes Chiron) were flying over 

 to the south-east: they occurred, as it were, in columns. 

 The air would be comparatively clear of them for a few 

 hundred yards, then we would pass through a band, perhaps 

 fifty yards in width, where hundreds were always in sight, and 

 all travelling one way. I took the direction several times 

 with a pocket-compass, and it was always south-east. 

 Amongst them were a few yellow butterflies, but these were 



