40 A NATURALIST IN THE TRANSVAAL. 



closes the retreating form of a small and elegant beetle 

 down a narrow hole made in the irony soil. It is under 

 these stones that vast colonies of ants are frequently 

 found, and in the immediate neighbourhood of these 

 it seems useless to search for beetles, save the small 

 Pentaplatarthrus natalensis, which, as well known, is a 

 messmate of the ants. Two species of "Bombardier 

 Beetles " are not uncommon ; one of these, Pheropsophus 

 litigiosus, is found under and amongst stones by the 

 banks of streams. When handled its peculiar and 

 protective anal explosion gave a distinct sound, and a 

 considerable puff of smoke was emitted * ; the resultant 

 excretion thereby not only deeply stained my fingers, 

 but actually in one case caused a feeling of a smart 

 burn which lasted for fully a minute. The stain on my 

 fingers was indelible for five days. 



One naturally became anxious for the promised rains, 

 which would transform this sterile scene, and afford 

 some illustration of African insect-life. On August 5th 

 the clouds gathered about 4 P.M., and a strong wind 

 arose bringing clouds of dust from Pretoria, and a 

 moderate shower of rain. But this was of short dura- 

 tion, and in half an hour the wind blew strongly from 

 the opposite quarter and carried the dust back again. 

 This was premature rain, and no more denoted the 

 arrival of the wet season than a warm January day in 

 England is a harbinger of the spring. But in August 

 the nights became warmer, trees commenced budding, 

 and in a few places the veld showed signs of 

 fresh life. In some spots a few more butter- 

 flies now appeared. Junonia cebrene and Hamanumida 

 dcedalus took wing, and the last named afforded me an 

 opportunity of observation which supplemented, if not 

 corrected, some previous statements. Since Darwin 

 taught naturalists to seek and read the story of cause 

 and effect, where genera and species had alone been 

 formerly observed, butterflies have been much studied 



* It is possible for these Bombardier Beetles to have their artillery arti- 

 ficially discharged after death, as I once found on pinning some dead 

 specimens. 



