188 INSECTS ABROAD. 



tips through their own weight. These hairs appear, when the 

 insect is viewed from above, to be merely planted thickly on the 

 elytra without any particular arrangement; but when the Beetle 

 is viewed from either end, a really beautiful arrangement is at 

 once visible. The hairs are set in rows running longitudinally 

 upon the elytra and lying parallel to each other, being set, in 

 point of fact, upon those ridges with which the elytra of so many 

 Beetles are decorated. The extreme edges of the elytra are 

 slightly thickened and rounded, evidently to give strength to a 

 material so thin that the light shines plainly through it, even 

 when the insect is in a cabinet. 



Proceeding from the elytra to the thorax a similar structure is 

 visible, except that there are no hairs. There is, however, a very 

 curious element in this part of the body. Towards the front of 

 the thorax, and in the centre, there is an oval perforation, which 

 seems to have been made for the purpose of permitting the head 

 to move up and down, and the eyes to perceive objects above, 

 them, which would otherwise be hidden by the overhanging 

 thorax. On examining the insect closely, this apparent perfo- 

 ration is seen not to be a perforation at all. 



The thorax is flat and moulded in front into two flattened horns, 

 which are curved so as to cross each other at the tips and thus 

 to leave an oval aperture. The left horn is uppermost, and they 

 as well as the sides oi the thorax are slightly thickened at their 

 edges. The thorax and abdomen are so formed as to present 

 an almost unbroken outline, scarcely any line of demarcation 

 being visible except when carefully searched for. The true 

 shape of the Beetle can only be seen by turning it over and 

 looking at the under surface, when the distinction between the 

 body and the flattened sides is shown very clearly. 



There are many species of Helaeus, all of which have some 

 peculiarity which is worthy of notice. I can, however, onlv 

 mention one of them, Heloew echidna, which was brought from 

 King George's Sound by Captain Grey. 



The thorax of this insect is black, highly polished in the 

 raised and rounded middle and duller on the flattened sides. 

 The elytra are also black, and they, as well as the thorax, are so 

 boldly turned up on their flattened sides, that whereas Hela 

 p< rforatus resembles a dish, this species is more like a boat. I m 

 the raised centre of the elytra there are no hairs, but instead of 



