and Captures in South Africa in 1905. 373 
Lang, and a couple each of Axtocerces harpax, Fabr., and 
Phasis chrysaor, Trim., one settled head downwards, were 
taken. 
We took four Hesperids, viz. one each of Hesperia spio, 
Linn. (= vindex, Cram.), Hretis djvlele, Waller., Gegenes 
zetterstedti, Wallgr., and Pterygospidea jflesus, Fabr. The 
last named after dashing about wildly settled on the wpper 
side of a leaf. 
But few moths were seen, and two specimens of Osteodes 
turbulenta, Guen., and the Syntomid mentioned below were 
all that we took. 
Beetles, on the other hand, were fairly numerous. Two 
species of Heterochelus (Hopliine) were common on yellow 
composite flowers, buried head downwards so as to leave 
the hypertrophied hind-legs alone protruding like the 
mandibles of an ant-lion, the resemblance being increased 
in that by their adduction they could inflict a very respect- 
able pinch.* 
The greenish-white flowers of a climbing composite 
(? Senecio sp.) that spread in dense mats over some of the 
bushes by the stream were very attractive to insects. 
Two Aculeates, XYylocopa divisa, Klug, 2, and Hwmenes 
tinctor, Christ, ?, 2, one of them a starved dwarf; the moth 
Syntonis kuhlweini, Lefebr. (one found to be in the tender 
embraces of a spider); the fly Hristalis teniops, Wied.; the 
Reduviid bug Harpactor erythrocnemis, Germ.; two Lycoid 
beetles, Acantholycus sp. and Haplolycus sp., the latter 
numerous,t and clearly mimicked by the Cetoniid Gametis 
balteata, De Geer, were all taken off this plant, together 
with a Mantis that was presumably attracted by the insects 
rather than the flowers. { 
A soft-skinned Cantharid, Decatoma lunata, Pallas, 
looked conspicuous enough on a pale straw-yellow lilia- 
ceous flower. 
The meadows by the estuary yielded a different lot of 
* See Lonesrarr, Trans, Ent. Soc. Lond. 1906, pp. 93-95. 
t A pair remained in cop. for at least six hours. 
{ Another small Mantis, taken on a tree, bright leaf-green in 
colour, was kept alive for over a week. It was seen to catch a fly by 
a motion of lightning-like quickness and eat it, rejecting the wings 
and abdomen. When approached it would smartly assume the 
“‘praying” attitude, sometimes also turning its head in the direction 
of the visitor. It used to clean its eyes by passing its fore-legs over 
them, with an action like that of a cat cleaning its face. It also 
cleaned its antenne in its mouth, bringing them down by its fore- 
legs.—F. A. D. 
