SHELLS. 463 



tacea that abound in these situations. I have watched 

 them enter the holes in the sand, and on giving them 

 insects of any description, they would seize them savagely 

 with their powerful jaws, and rapidly tear them in pieces. 

 I h ave found this same insect lying concealed in the bur- 

 rows of a small Ocypode that perforates the sandy soil in 

 all directions, and which most probably forms part of 

 the prey of this carnivorous insect. Many other Coleoptera 

 besides the Scarites appear to have the same habit of bur- 

 rowing in the sand ; as the Hesperopliilm arenarius, and 

 some species of Bledius and Dyschirim. At the back of 

 the Isle of Wight I have observed a large beetle with 

 similar habits. 



Several handsomely marked varieties of Stomatella 

 rubra, besides the Stomatella auricula and sulcifera, and 

 Stomatix pliymotis and duplicate, were found strewing 

 the beach of some of the coral islands, mixed with a spe- 

 cies of Crepidula ; and in the deep water between some 

 of the wall-sided basaltic islets a rich harvest of Tere- 

 bratulce including two large characteristic new species of a 

 beautiful and delicate red-rose colour. The former 

 shell occurred in great numbers, and was observed washed 

 up along the coasts filling the holes of the rocks ; thus 

 proving that typhoons and violent tempests in their 

 agitation of the sea penetrate to very considerable depths 

 below the surface, requiring these delicate shells to be 

 anchored for further security by a byssus to the stones 

 at the bottom. Submarine agitations have been known 

 to reach to a depth of 200 feet, and so violent in their 

 operation as to break rocks in pieces. A single valve of 

 a large and interesting new species of Cockle (Cardium 



