526 SEASONS OF INSECTS. 



and Amphimalla solstitialis. Then also many other 

 Coleoptera are in the air ; especially before a thunder- 

 storm, a state of the atmosphere that particularly excites 

 insects 3 : Ptinus imperialis and germanus I have never 

 taken except under these circumstances. Then the 

 Ephemera sport in the air^ and lead their mystic dance. 

 The majority of the hawkmoths are then too on the 

 wing, with their long tongues imbibing the nectar of 

 the flowers while they hover over them, both morning 

 and evening. 



iii. In the night the main body of the moths take their 

 flight, as well as a vast number of Coleoptera and in- 

 sects of other orders. At this time the Blattce and 

 crickets leave their hiding-places and run about : but 

 the other Grylli L., though they sing in the night, fly 

 only in the day. Then also the Carabi, like beasts of 

 prey, leave their dark retreats, in this differing from 

 the Cicindeltf, which are diurnal, and prowl about to 

 entrap other unwary insects. Then, likewise, the female 

 glowworm hangs out her lamp of love, and the male, 

 led by it, wings his way to her : and then the water- 

 beetles (Dytisci, Gyrini, &c.) forsake the waves and be- 

 come tenants of the air. 



Could we with certainty discover the stations in which 

 insects after their excursions take their repose, we might 

 capture many that we now search for in vain. Several 

 of these stations were pointed out in a former part of this 

 letter where I detailed their usual haunts. I may here 

 add, that numbers of them, when reposing, conceal them- 

 selves from their enemies on the under side of the leaves 



a See above, p. 254. 



