68 INSECTS ABROAD. 



with a brash on a wetted surface. This streak varies somewhat 

 in different individuals. 



The specific name of laiissimus, or "very wide," is given to it 

 on account of the peculiar form of the body, which is wider and 

 flatter than our British species. The epithet, however, applies 

 especially to the elytra, which are formed after a rather curious 

 fashion; Although flatter than those of the British Dyticus. 

 they are yet moderately convex as far as the second orangu 

 stripe. This forms, as it were, the crest of a ridge, from which 

 the elytron is suddenly and boldly flattened, so that it looks 

 very much as if it had been pressed under a heavy weight when 

 soft, and then hardened while flat. 



Our second and last example of this family is an exception to 

 the general rule among these insects. They are nearly all dull- 

 coloured, brown and black 

 being the usual hues, relieved 

 in a few species by the 

 orange stripes which have 

 already been mentioned in 

 connection with Dyticus la- 

 tissimus. As to any definite 

 pattern, there is none what- 



Fio. 27-Hydattcus feBtivus. d therefore ifc fe gome _ 



( 1 ellow and black.) ' 



what startling to find any of 

 the family which not only possess bright colours, but are marked 

 with a bold and sharply defined pattern. 



Such is the insect now before us, a native of the East Indies. 

 It is exceedingly variable both in the details of the pattern and 

 in the colour, and the present example has been selected as 

 showing the kind of pattern which predominates. The colours 

 are so exactly balanced that it is almost impossible to say which 

 is the ground hue and which is the colour of the pattern, but as 

 the dark hue is most conspicuous we will take that as forming 

 the pattern. 



The ground hue, then, is always some shade of yellow, in 

 some specimens pale, but in others becoming nearly orange, and 

 the pattern is deep, shining black, so that it must be a very 

 conspicuous insect when darting through the water. In some 

 specimens, however, where the ground colour is very decidedly 



