ROSALIA FUNEBRIS Mots. Decaying Umbellularia Californica among 

 the mycelia of some fungus. 



XYLOTRICHUS NAUTICUS Mann. Dead sapwood of the oak, Quercus agri- 

 folia. 



XYLOTRECHUS OBLITKRATUS Lee., insignis F. Dead branches of willow. 



NECYDALIS L^EVICOLLIS Lee. Decayed oak, Quercus agrifolia, and in 

 dead Eucalyptus globulus. 



LEPTURA L^ETA Lee. Dead Quercus agrifolia and Quercus sp. 

 LEPTURA GRASSIPES Lee. Decayed wood of Umbellularia Californica. 



SYNAPHCETA GUEXI Lee. Dead limbs of California buckeye, JEsculus 

 Californica. 



POGONOCHERUS CRiNiTUS Lee. Dead branches of Quercus agrifolia. 



TROGOSITID.E. 



TROGOSITA VIRESCENS Fab. Dead Libocedrus and several kinds of oak. 



CLERID^E. 



THANASIMUS EXTMIUS Mann. Dead twigs of Umbellularia Californica. 



MELANDRYID^E. 



RIVERSII Lec. Larva feeds in decaying trees of Madroria, 

 Arbutus Menziesii. In trees in position the insect is found in the primary 

 forks of the roots, and in prostrate logs among the more seasoned fibers of 

 the wood. 



LAMPYRID^E. 



Among many entomological enigmas of long standing is one that is about 

 being solved. From time to time in many parts of the United States, large 

 luminous larvae of some Coleopteron have been found, and it has been con- 

 jectured that these larvae belong to some of the Elateridae, the general 

 supposition being that they were larvae of the genus Melanactes. Every 

 attempt at breeding them resulted in failure because their natural food 

 was unknown. I have recently found what their food consists of. Before 

 making this discovery I had arrived, from a careful study of the anatomy 

 of the mouth parts of these larvae, at the conclusion now confirmed, that 

 they are carnivorous in habit. 



Their food consists of the vegetable feeding Myriapoda, particularly of 

 Julus and Polydesmus, with a preference for Julus, because the large area 

 of the rings of this genus affords space for the larva to penetrate the interior 

 of the Myriapod. Its manner of feeding is to seize the hinder part of the 

 Julus, and perforate a segment, reaching the soft inner parts, which it 

 devours at leisure, creeping through many segments without disjointing 

 them, and remaining inside these rings for days at a time, till one can 

 see little else but the slowly wriggling form of the dying Julus. 



I have a full fed larva, which I hope will go through its metamorphosis, 

 and solve the problem. And now its mode of life is made known, other 

 persons who are equally anxious with myself that nature shall yield this 



