408 Professor E. B, Poulton on 



In addition to the above, Mr. W. L. Distant draws 

 attention to the records of Cicadas attacked by species of 

 Mantis at Delagoa Bay and in the Transvaal.* 



Although the evidence is so inadequate, it presents 

 indications that conclusions of much value will be reached 

 by extended observations. In the first place, the whole of 

 the victims except one were Lepidopterous. In the second 

 place, the proportion of specially protected forms was very 

 high. Thus a Delias was attacked twice, an Acru&a. once, 

 Limnas chrysipj^its once in the imaginal and once in the 

 larval state. In respect of the attacks on such forms no 

 distinction can be drawn between the Mantidx. and the 

 Locustidx. We are led to believe that the predaceous 

 Orthoptera are important foes of those Lepidoptera that are 

 specially defended from vertebrate insect-eaters. 



V. COLEOPTERA. 



The following brief list is chiefly useful in drawing 

 marked attention to the urgent need for observations with 

 full and accurate data. The experiments of Professor F. 

 Plateau (Mem, Soc. Zool. Fr. t. vii, p. 375, § 9 : see also 

 Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1902, p. 330) suggest that preda- 

 ceous beetles are probably important foes of specially pro- 

 tected insects. These experiments are not quoted on the 

 present occasion inasmuch as the Coleoptera were fed in 

 confinement. The present Memoir deals only with the 

 prey selected by predaceous forms in the wild state. 



It must be remembered that beetles are frequently 

 scavengers rather than truly predaceous. Thus the 

 observation of an actual capture becomes of especial value. 

 In the following list the two tiies had certainly fallen into 

 the water, and No. 357 may have been drowned before it 

 was seized. The Agabus, No. 356, and Elaterid, No. 362, 

 were certainly attacking living prey. 



* " Insecta Transvaaliensia," Pt. vii, 1906, pp. 169, 170. 



