22 INSECTS ABROAD. 



colour. It is owing to tliis peculiarity of the labium that the 

 insecl has gained the specific name of labiaia. 



Its habits are rather peculiar. Unlike our own Tiger Beetles, 

 which are notable for their love of bright sunny spots, this 

 Therates, though in the climate of the Ke* [elands it might have 

 as much sunshine as it liked, prefers damp and gloomy situa- 

 tions. Vet, even in these localities it displays the well-known 

 characteristics of the Tiger Beetle, running and flying restlessly 

 from spot to spot with a fussy eagerness, and evidently on the 

 look-out for prey as it darts from leaf to leaf, and then quickly 

 scurries over the broad foliage. 



As is the case with our common Musk Beetle, its presence 

 may be detected by the nostril before the eye can take cogni- 

 zance of it. It gives out a powerful and pleasant odour some- 

 thing like that of roses, which Mr. Wallace conjectures to be used 

 for t he purpose of decoying the insects on which it feeds. I very 

 much doubt, however, whether this can be the case. I have 

 already shown that odours which are disagreeable to us are not 

 necessarily so to other beings, and therefore that we ought not 

 to assume that they are used for the purpose of protection. By 

 parity of reasoning, though an odour may be grateful to us, it 

 does not follow that it should be equally grateful to other 

 beings ; and I therefore find much difficulty in believing that one 

 Beetle repels its foes by an odour which is disagreeable to man, 

 and that another attracts its prey by an odour which is pleasant 

 to him. 



Mr. Wallace, to whom 1 am indebted for the foregoing infor- 

 mation, remarks that in the forests of the Kd Islands, this and 

 another Tiger Beetle, Tricondyla aptera, which will be presently 

 described, were the only two common and conspicuous insects. 

 The name Therates is a Greek word signifying " a hunter," and is 

 very appropriately given to these quick, active Beetles, which 

 apparently spend their whole time in the chase. 



It is rather remarkable that the only two common insects in 

 the forest should be not only Tiger Beetles, but even belong to 

 the same family, the Collvridre. The name of the second species 

 is Tricondyla aptera, and, according to Mr. Wallace's descrip- 

 tion, it looks when alive very much like a large black ant, about 

 an inch in length. At first sight it appears to be quite black, 



