- 
46 Dr. G. D. H. Carpenter’s Haperiments on 
Serics Bg. Obs. 530-546. Jan. 29.—At 2 p.m., M. having 
had a good meal of vegetable food but no insects— 
Obs. 533. Sp. 59.—Lagriid, Lagria rhodesiana Péring., 
a dull purplish, hairy, soft beetle that freely exposes 
itself on grass tips. I kept this in my closed hand, so 
that M. was inquisitive to see what was inside. When 
I opened my fist and he saw the very distasteful 
beetle his face fell and he would not touch it. But 
he took it as a joke, broke into a broad grin, and 
frolicked with my hand in a most amusing way. 
Obs. 539. Sp. 260.—Buprestid, Discoderes sp., not 
in Br. Mus.: a highly procryptic beetle, of rather 
curious appearance, about half an inch long. Brown, 
with curious little knobs and excrescences. I found 
a pair in copula on a leaf, and did not recognise them 
as beetles at first; nor, apparently, did M. I offered 
one on my hand; M. looked at it and after a little 
hesitation took it, looked again at it, and put it in 
his mouth for a preliminary bite. This, however, made 
no impression on the hard beetle, and M. took it out 
for another look. After several more gentle bites had 
no effect M. bit harder, and finding it tasty, ate it 
with relish. 
(Note-—It seems extremely likely that M. would 
have altogether passed the beetle by in its natural 
surroundings, owing to its procrypsis.) 
Obs. 540. Sp. 261.—Cureulionid, Baris sp. : a small 
long-snouted black weevil. M. ate it at once without 
hesitation. 
Obs. 541. Sp. 262.—Zygaenid, Neurosymploca xan- 
thosoma Jord.: a small dull black moth with bright 
yellow abdomen and a yellow spot on each side of the 
thorax. Very sluggish, and sits about on grass stems. 
A § was offered to M., who pulled it to pieces, and 
put the yellow abdomen into his mouth, rolled it 
about and mouthed it a lot, but did not eat it with 
pleasure. 
Obs. 542. Sp. 263.—Lamiid, Spilotragus «xanthus 
Jord. : a small and delicately made Longicorn beetle, 
light grey and yellow. M. handled it gingerly and 
examined it well, bit off its head delicately, and ate 
the rest rather doubtfully. 
(Note.—It seemed to me that the yellow markings 
in a slight degree gave this slender beetle a Hymeno- 
