136 IOWA STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY 
ment. The insects are very active and shun the light. When dis- 
turbed they discharge with some force a fine column of fluid with 
a very pungent and evil odor. In the bush at Colii Suva on chip- 
ping away the loose bark of a tree, four or five of these black 
fellows scurried away quickly but before doing so one of them 
discharged with a distinct hissing sound a stream of this ill-smell- 
ing fluid into my eye. Its presence caused the optic to burn and 
smart terribly and to water profusely for several minutes. This 
fluid is irritating even to one’s skin for a drop of it which struck 
me on the face produced a distinct burning sensation. The Fiji- 
ans sometimes call these insects ‘‘ Maori bugs.’’ 
Hordes of crickets occur everywhere. A large black one (Gryl- 
lus oceanicus) is common under leaves, sticks, grass and debris— 
anything that offers them shelter. At Makuluva, on one occasion, 
I found a small hermit crab in the act of devouring one of these 
crickets. The crab had bitten into the prothorax of the insect and 
was making a, meal of its contents. It seems probable that these 
little crustaceans which are extremely abundant along all the 
beaches of Fiji may exert a considerable influence on the insect 
population of the islands. A small blackish cricket with white legs 
is very common on Vitilevu; we found it on Makuluva also but 
far less abundantly. 
At least two species of leaf insects, locally known as “‘guava 
bugs’’ (Phasmide) occur on Vitilevu but I was not fortunate 
enough to come across any and so could not test out the oft- 
described protective adaptations attributed to these forms. 
A moderate sized earwig (Dermaptera) is abundant and gener- 
ally distributed over Vitilevu. I believe that it is an introduced 
form. 
One of the commonest representatives of the true bugs (Heter- 
optera) is the long, slender yellowish coreid (Leptocorisa acuta). 
On a side hill near Suva in the vicinity of small cultivated plots, 
I took from one plant of yangona (Piper sp.) at a single sweep 
of the hand net more than five-hundred individuals. The bag was 
literally alive with the bugs which produce a dull buzzing note 
while in flight. Another representative of this family, the obese 
blackish Brachylybus variegatus, is one of the most abundant in- 
sects about Suva where it frequents drying and decaying bananas 
on the trees. On June 13 we found it in all stages. The insect is 
not of great economic importance. 
