134 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD. 
only Noctuid that I recognised was the well known Plusia gamma. 
During May a handsome Burnet moth (Syntomis mestralii) was often 
seen. My observations of moths were very scanty as it was distinctly 
unadvisable to go about with lights at night and anything like 
sugaring was out of the question. On the whole lepidopterous life 
was disappointing. 
Dragonflies were not common at Mulebbis, but by the River Auja 
on the 16th May they were present in considerable numbers and 
variety, one species with mauve wings and body being specially notice- _ 
able for its translueent beauty in the sunshine. Several species of 
small ant-lions ‘occurred, first noticed on the 8th May and subse- 
quently quite common, and a much larger species with variegated wings: 
was not uncommon later in the season. In April I noticed a small 
Trichopteron in some numbers round one of the basins in the 
irrigation channel of an orange grove. A lacewing fly (Chrysopa 
vulgaris) (?) was brought to me for identification once or twice. 
I did not observe many Coleoptera, but I know nothing of this 
order and probably passed over many species. Those noted are as 
follows: a densely pubescent species (? Tropinota squalida), probably 
identical with that noted in my previous article as occurring at 
Kantara in March, 1917, was extremely common on flower heads in 
the latter half of February and during March. Its place was taken 
later by another day-flying species, bright red in colour and about the 
size of a honey bee which was as common on tbe flowers as the. 
familiar soldier beetles Velephoridae are on Umbelliferae at home. A 
Scarabeus with a rhinoceros-like horn, Phyllognathus silenus, was 
brought to me on the 15th March, attracted by light, and from time to 
time other species of this genus turned up. Large dung-rolling 
beetles (Pimelia) were also seen. On the 16th May I noticed tiger 
beetles at the River Auja. Fireflies were not at all uncommon and first 
noied at the end of April, and water beetles occurred in some of the: 
tanks in the eroves. 
Crickets (Liogryllus bimaculatus) were almost as common as in. 
Egypt; mole-crickets were not uncommonly found in the irrigation 
tanks, which seemed to have a fatal fascination for them; a large- 
variety of grasshoppers and some locusts seen, but no swarms of the 
latter occurred. The large size and clumsy flight, of a large species of : 
locust (Pachytylus danicus) when disturbed caused me more than once 
to, mistake it for a startled bird. Two or three kinds of Mantidae 
occurred. 
Hymenoptera were abundant both in numbers and species. Ants. 
of three or four species were very common and some of their “ runs” 
plainly visiblein the short grass and extended some twenty yards or more.. 
A shining black species (? Phetidole megacephala) about half as large 
again as our common garden ant in Hngland, was noticed swarming in 
small columns about four feet high just over its nests. These 
swarms were first noticed on the 21st May and at a little distance looked 
like so many columns of smoke from small fires. They were only in 
flebt from about 7 to 10 in the mornings, and continued for a- 
fortnight or three weeks. Among other Aculeates, solitary bees of 
numerous species were abundant; the dry sandy soil seemed well 
suited for them and they flourished accordingly. On the 18th February a. 
species of mason-bee was very busy exploring the walls of the shed in. 
