101 A. BEETLE THAT TAKES IN KAI.LAST. 



tip direct from the ground, or is received by it from the 

 kicking front legs, I cannot say (their office may be merely 

 to loosen the sand), but I may have further opportunities 

 of observing during the coming season. 



I know of several species of hovering flies (order Diptera), 

 which fly closely over the ground, and often drag their 

 abdomen-tips in the dust, and comparatively recently 

 captured a female of a large species whilst so engaged, 

 which I opened and found to contain a quantity of fine 

 earth or sand. 



The explanation of the beetle's habit is, I think, quite 

 clear, and, no doubt, the same applies to the flies too. The 

 beetle is much in hilly country, where the winds are strong, 

 and often blow in violent whirling gusts, which are apt 

 to, in fact do, frequently drive and whirl it and flies and 

 other insects out and far from the trees in which they 

 may be feeding. Our beetle, possessing a rather ample 

 or balloon body, and having deposited most of her egg8> 

 and consequently being so much lighter than before, now 

 experiences great difficulty in recovering and flying back 

 to trees in such winds. Moreover the wings of the Buprestidce 

 are generally short and narrow compared with beetles 

 in other families, and the assistance of the elytra is 

 invariably required when in the air, they being raised 

 and held out to help support the insect, as during flight the 

 body inclines downward. To overcome the drawbacks 

 mentioned the sand is taken in, which, lying at the extremity 

 of the body, doubtless effectually ballasts the insect in its- 

 beats and stru^^les against adverse winds. 



The Cetonnidce, another flower hunting family, possess 

 much larger flj^ing wings, and do not require the support 

 of the elj^tra, the wings being slipped out underneath, 

 enabling the insects to bore their way horizontally and 

 swiftly through the air. 



Several of the Buprestidoe are extraordinarily variable 

 in size and coloring. Regia is fairly even in size, except 

 that the females are larger than the males, but the elytra may 

 be all yellow to deep red, or with two or three dark bands 

 with yellow to orange or dark red areas between. Four 

 variable female specimens are forwarded for inspection. 



