:J01 



left with a female and her quiescent pi'ey, it has been found 

 decapitated and the fenuiles were jealous of the feeding- of the 

 male on the grub, as the egg laying time approaches driving- 

 it away. 



The Fveij of Sclerodernms 'n)nni(jra)is. As has been al- 

 ready indicated, the adult females show remarkable versatility 

 in their attacks upon possible pre}' and great catholicity in 

 their choice. It was only in the case of S. irn migrans that I 

 was able to carry on any extended series of breedings but the 

 few experiments which I was able to carry on with the endemic 

 species gave no indication of any difference in this regard, I 

 was unable to determine that this Sclerodermus would reject 

 any Coleopterous larva whatever, and I have succeeded in 

 breeding it from Caryohorus gonagra (Fabricius) (Bruchi- 

 dae) ; ^'^llloxyIon conigeruin Gerstaecker, Schistocerus coniu- 

 tiis (Pallas) (Bostrychidae) ; several species of endemic 

 Anobiidae; Tenehroides mauritaiiicus or a rehited species 

 (Temnochilidae) ; TriboJhiui ferrugineiiui (Fabricius), 

 Gnatliocevus cornutus (Fabricius) (Tenebrionidae) ; Lagoch- 

 eh-us ohsoJetas Thomson, Coptops aedificator (Fabricius), 

 Xysti'oceni glohosa (Oliver), and Xeoclytarhis en phorhlac 

 Bridwell (('eraud)ycidae). In the case of the few 



Elaterid larvae which happened To be available furious 

 attacks Avere uuide Imt the larvae were able to escape 

 by forcing their way through the cotton plug with which the 

 tubes containing them were closed, dislodging the Sclerodcrnuis 

 on the way. Several Rhyncophorous grubs were nsed but as 

 it happened all died before the Sderodennus larvae finished 

 feeding. In general this was the case with the wood-boring 

 and other Lepidopterous larvae used, the lowland climate be- 

 ing exceedingly likely to induce moulds and other troubles 

 witli tlies ' iidiabitants of the cooler climate of the mountains. 

 The llymenoptera ntilized have been already indicated. Per 

 ha])s the uiost surprising host u])on whicli this ScJerodennus 

 was bred was the termite, Calotermes cantaneus (Bnrmeister). 

 In this si>ecies the mud-like anal discharge occasionallv killed 



