290 TROPICAL NATURE 



most conspicuous of all the beetle tribe. The weevils and 

 their allies are also very interesting, from their immense 

 numbers, endless variety, and the extreme beauty of many of 

 the species. The Anthribidae, which are especially abundant 

 in the Malay Archipelago, rival the Longicorns in the immense 

 length of their elegant antennae ; while the diamond beetles of 

 Brazil, the Eupholi of the Papuan islands, and the Pachy- 

 rhynchi of the Philippines, are veritable living jewels. 



Where a large extent of virgin forest is cut down in the 

 early part of the dry season, and some hot sunny weather 

 follows, the abundance and variety of beetles attracted by the 

 bark and foliage in various stages of drying is amazing. The 

 air is filled with the hum of their wings. Golden and green 

 Buprestidae are flying about in every direction, and settling 

 on the bark in full sunshine. Green and spotted rose-chafers 

 hum along near the ground ; long -horned Anthribidae are 

 disturbed at every step ; elegant little Longicorns circle 

 about the drying foliage, while larger species fly slowly 

 from branch to branch. Every fallen trunk is full of life. 

 Strange mottled, and spotted, and rugose Longicorns, endless 

 Curculios, queer -shaped Brenthidae, velvety brown or steel- 

 blue Cleridae, brown or yellow or whitish click beetles 

 (Elaters), and brilliant metallic Carabidae. Close by, in 

 the adjacent forest, a whole host of new forms are found. 

 Elegant tiger-beetles, leaf-hunting Carabidae, musk-beetles of 

 many sorts, scarlet Telephori, and countless Chrysomelas, 

 Hispas, Coccinellas, with strange Heteromera, and many curious 

 species which haunt fungi, rotten bark, or decaying leaves. 

 With such variety and beauty the most ardent entomologist 

 must be fully satisfied ; and when, every now and then, some 

 of the giants of the tropics fall in his way grand Prionidae or 

 Lamiidae several inches long, a massive golden Buprestis, or a 

 monster horned Dynastes he feels that his most exalted 

 notions of the insect-life of the tropics are at length realised. 



Wingless Insects 



Passing on to other orders of insects, the hemiptera 

 dragon -flies and true flies hardly call for special remark. 

 Among them are to be found a fair proportion of large and 

 handsome species, but they require much searching after in 



