374 Mr Perkins, Notes on some Hawaiian Insects. [Dec. 6, 



the pools that are left, for the sake of the moisture, and the 

 numbers that come to grief is often astonishing, the whole surface 

 being covered with the drowned and drowning. 



There are, however, other species the nymphs of which live 

 under very different circumstances. These have given up their 

 aquatic life, and live hidden at the bases of the leaves of a 

 liliaceous plant — Astelia veratroides. Sometimes a little water 

 is held by the plant around the stem, but more often there is 

 merely a collection of damp earth and dead leaves. These nymphs 

 would even appear to dislike the collections of water, for in wet 

 weather they often crawl halfway up the leaves, instead of 

 remaining at the base, where the water accumulates. They differ 

 in some points from those which frequent the water; they are 

 shorter and stouter, and much more sluggish, and the caudal 

 appendages are very short and thick, differing therein greatly 

 from some of the aquatic species, the appendages of which form 

 beautiful tracheal gills. 



On the whole they are without doubt better off as regards 

 a food supply than the aquatic species, for there is generally 

 abundance of animal life around them. A number of interesting 

 beetles breed only in this plant, and minute young of molluscs 

 and earthworms are generally abundant in the same, as well as 

 the larvae of small moths. Moreover nymphs of various sizes 

 often frequent a single plant, and if hard pressed for food the 

 larger, no doubt, devour the smaller individuals. 



In consequence of these habits, some of these species of dragon- 

 flies, although their powers of flight are feeble, may often be seen 

 in numbers in localities remote from water, and where they would 

 not naturally be looked for. 



These terrestrial nymphs are able to endure extreme drought. 

 On one occasion when out shooting, having no more convenient re- 

 ceptacle, I carried a number for the greater part of the day in an 

 envelope. In the eveniDg, although very dry, they were still quite 

 lively. They were then placed in a tumbler of water, where they 

 remained on the bottom, not being able to crawl up the sides. 

 Here they remained for a day, apparently as happily as on dry land, 

 when they were taken out and preserved. 



To turn to the Order of Coleoptera, which is more richly 

 represented in the Islands than any other, by far the most 

 conspicuous are the species of the genus Plagithmysits. With 

 the allied genera Callithmysus and Glytarlus they form a special 

 group of Longicorns, and no nearly allied form is known from 

 elsewhere. Hence the country from which they may have been 

 derived is quite uncertain. About 40 species are at present 

 known. These beetles are remarkable in many ways, more 

 particularly for the manner in which the wings are folded, there 



