THE COLEOPTERA. 25 



of these insects, is of a pinkish colour, very fat and 

 sluggish ; the head and three anterior segments are strong 

 and horny, the legs being rather short. It undergoes its 

 transformation into the pupa within the weevil burrows, 

 when the limbs of the perfect insect can be seen folded 

 down the breast, the wings and elytra being much smaller 

 than in the beetle. Specimens in all stages of existence 

 may be readily procured by splitting up old perforated 

 logs which have been long tenanted by weevils. 



Group BRACHELYTRA. 



Family STAPHYLINID^E. 

 StapkyliHus oculatus (Plate I., fig. 5). 



This is the New Zealand representative of 5. olens or 

 the " Devil's Coach Horse," one of the most familiar of 

 British beetles. It is found occasionally in the neighbour- 

 hood of slaughter-houses, and may be at once distinguished 

 from any of the allied species by a large spot of brilliant 

 scarlet situated on each side of its head behind the eyes ; 

 this very conspicuous feature has given it the specific name 

 of oculatus. I am at present unacquainted with the trans- 

 formations of this fine insect, but they will probably closely 

 resemble those of the typical species (S. olens} described 

 in the majority of standard books on European Coleop- 

 tera. This beetle may be frequently seen flying in the 

 sunshine, when it has a most striking appearance, owing to 

 its large size and rapid motion. An unpleasant odour is 

 found to arise when it is handled, this being noticeable in 

 nearly all the members of the family. These beetles 

 are comparatively numerous in New Zealand, the genus 

 Philonthus comprising several elongate active insects, 

 of which P. ceneus is one of the commonest, and may 

 be found abundantly amongst garden refuse. Others 

 frequent the seashore, feeding on decaying seaweed, and 



