580 REPORT— 1898. 



The only other reptile seen in the caves was a ' white lizard,' probably- 

 one of the Geckonidce, seen by one of a party with me in the darkest part 

 of the Dark Cave. It escaped, and no others were seen. 



Batrachia. 



Bufo asper. — This toad occurred in all the darker parts of all the 

 caves, and some of the specimens were of very large size. It was chiefly 

 met with in damp spots. 



Insecta. 



There are a considerable number of insects to be found in the caves 

 of which specimens were collected and forwarded to the British Museum 

 for examination. Unfortunately, one of the cases of spirit specimens sent 

 in February last was lost in transit to Europe, but later I re-collected 

 most of the animals then obtained. Hymeno-ptera were represented by 

 a species of black ant (family Poneridce) found in the furthest part 

 of the Dark Cave. Coleoptera. — A few minute beetles were seen. 

 Diptera. — A very small fly (fam. Chironomidce, gen. et sp. nov., closely 

 allied to Ceratopogon) was exceedingly abundant in places where bats 

 were plentiful, so much so as to be quite a nuisance. It apparently bred 

 in the bat-guano. One or more species of bug {Heinip)terct) occurred in 

 and about the dry guano. Neuroptera.- — A single specimen of a very 

 transparent, fragile ant-lion I^Myrmeccelurus sp.) was obtained in the Dark 

 Cave near the nest of ants, and the wing of another was seen in the 

 mouth of a centipede. Orthoptera. — A curious brown species* (fam. 

 Stenopehnatido'. : Diestrammena, sp. nov.) occurred in all the dark caves. 

 It had a remarkably hard, chitinous coat, and very long legs and 

 antennse. It is apparently always wingless, for I saw hundreds of all 

 ages and both sexes, but never saw any with even rudimentary wings. 

 It was very active when disturbed, and at times uttered a feeble chirp. 

 Cockroaches (fam. Panesthiidce) were very common in the dry, powdery 

 guano, which heaved with them when light was thrown upon it. 



Arachnida. 



A fairly large blackish scorpion [Cho'rilus, sp. nov.) was caught in the 

 Dark Cave, the only one seen. Several kinds of spiders occurred : one 

 was an ordinary web-spinner; another formed round silken discs attached 

 to the stalactites and walls by the sides, and free at each end, so that the 

 spider could open or di^aw tight to the rock either end, after the manner 

 of a trap-door. The nest was coated with calcareous mud, so as to re- 

 semble a portion of the rock ; from it ran strands of silk radiating in 

 every direction. A third spider made silken tunnels, about six inches or 

 more in depth, in the dry guano. 



Myriapoda. 



The most conspicuous and abundant was a large species of centipede- 

 (Scictigera macidata) with a banded and spotted body and legs, brown and 

 white, the joints of the legs being sometimes of a violet colour. It lived 

 on the walls of the caves, running with great briskness, and seemed to ' 

 feed on the cockroaches, ant-lions and other insects. It appeared to be 

 quite harmless, and did not try to bite when caught. 



