290 Transactions.— Zoology. 
body, and accumulated around the cavity in the sand or debris usually occu- 
pied by the larva, would be apt to lead one to suppose, at first sight, that 
the wood must have been in a decayed state previous to the insects’ recourse 
to it; experienced observers particularly might be deceived in this matter, 
knowing, as they do, that the larve of the Dynastide repair to decomposing 
vegetable matter as their natural food, their services being peculiarly valu- 
able in rendering such substances innocuous. I apprehend that naturalists 
have still much to learn respecting the various modes of life of New Zealand 
insects ; preconceived notions derived from the study of the habits of what 
may be termed ‘old-world animals," would prove to be unreliable guides 
in the search for many of our species, which, to my knowledge, pass the 
various stages of their existence under circumstances quite at variance with 
cognate, or even congeneric, forms found elsewhere. 
I am of opinion that decayed ligneous matter is not at all a necessary 
means of support to this species; if that were so, the larva would be more 
often seen; it is nowhere common, certainly not met with in such profusion 
as to account for the numbers of the imago that may on certain occasions 
be seen strewn, dead and mutilated, along the sea-shore. Its true home 
is, beyond doubt, the loose drift above high-water mark. 
I have not been able to find the pupa, but I have frequently, especially 
on calm mornings, followed the tracks of the perfect insects along the beach, 
whereon they had been disporting during the night, and these invariably 
ceased amongst the looser drift-sand, into which, it must be evident, the 
beetles had burrowed, very deeply too, as I could never excavate a hole deep 
enough to reach them by hand. I was once fortunate enough to secure a 
living specimen, and, to place the matter beyond mere surmise, allowed him 
to escape from my hand, when he instantly sought refuge in the sand. At 
other times I notieed dead beetles belonging to this species which had not 
effectually secured their retreat, the hind-body being visible. 
Another remarkable trait remains to be noticed, that is, the extraordin- 
ary paucity of female specimens; of the many hundreds of dead imagos I 
have seen lying on the beach at various times, I can only remember having 
found one female!! I do not mean to imply any analogy between the habits 
. of Pericoptus and the Bee, beyond the touching fact of her domestic pro- 
clivities ; if she were not a good wife or daughter, she would surely be more 
frequently visible to strangers. 
I shall deposit an alcoholic specimen as a type of this larva in the 
Auckland Museum as soon as possible; the perfect insect is already there, 
and, when compared, they will afford a striking illustration of the metamor- 
phoses of a beetle. 
