BEETLES AND SPIDERS. 289 



an orange head and thorax, and black elytra, covered 

 with orange spots, is common among the leaves in sunny 

 places, and a velvety Laguria, with metallic-looking, 

 green, punctulated wing-covers, is frequently seen pitching 

 for an instant on the surface of the leaves, and taking 

 flight again with the greatest velocity, having more the 

 habits of some active dipterous insect than of a beetle. 

 A small green Mantis is not uncommon, crawling among 

 the culms of the long, rank grass. 



In these islands I have noticed a large species of 

 Nephila, which appears undescribed. The thorax is 

 covered with a silvery pubescence, the abdomen has nine 

 bright-yellow spots ; the shanks of the first pair of tibiae 

 have a broad yellow band, and those of the posterior 

 tibiae, and penultimate joints, at their proximate ends, 

 have a similar band. The rest of the body and legs is 

 black. It forms a large, strong geometrical web. I have 

 named the species N, xanthospilota. 



The larvae of the Cryptocephali, which abound here, 

 form hollow, flattened cases of the comminuted cuticle of 

 the leaves of the Sea-Convolvulus, and may be seen 

 crawling about by hundreds, like the larvae of Cassida. 

 When, however, they are about to undergo their meta- 

 morphosis, they adhere firmly to the upper surface of the 

 leaves, by means of a glutinous secretion, which is inso- 

 luble in water, and thus prevents their being washed 

 away by the rains. 



Under the decayed bark of trees I noticed, near Santa 

 Ivanna, numbers of a species of Chelifer, running up and 

 down the trunk, like so many pigmy Scorpions. 



Among the Bashees, Spiders, of the genera Nephila 



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