Wakefield. — On the Coleoptera of Canterbury. 301 



The larvae are often found under cow-dung and logs of wood, and a short time 

 since Mr. M. Walker forwarded to Dr. Haast a fine specimen of the perfect 

 insect, which he had obtained by digging below high water-mark. The nearest 

 ally to these beetles in my European collection is Pentodon punctatus, common 

 in the vicinity of Rome, but with apparently different habits. 



Amongst the Lucanidce we find the gigantic stag-beetle represented by the 

 pigmy Lissotes reticulatus, a strongly made, flat insect, about six lines in 

 length, and common in this province under bark and in decayed wood. 

 A Dendrohlax, and two species of Dorcus, which seem to be remarkable, also 

 occur in New Zealand, but I have not met with them in Canterbury. 



Glancing next at the Sternoxi, comprising the families Buprestidce, 

 Elateridce, etc., amongst which are found some of the most gorgeous beetles 

 of the tropics, we at length meet with a section of which the New Zealand 

 specimens are decidedly superior to the British, though not, perhaps, to those 

 of southern Europe. The English species are all small and inconspicuous, 

 whilst several kinds of Ochosternus, commonly found here, are large and hand- 

 some insects, though they cannot boast of brilliant colouring. Being without 

 a collection for reference, I cannot venture to enumerate even those kinds 

 which I have myself taken, but seeing that White describes twelve species of 

 Elateridce alone, and the number has doubtless been considerably increased 

 since his time, we may safely assume that New Zealand is well represented. 

 The larvae of the larger species of this division live in dead wood, upon which 

 the perfect insects are generally found. 



I regret that I can furnish little or no infomiation respecting the extensive 

 division of the Malacodermi, the best known examples of which are probably 

 the " soldiers " and " sailors " of Britain, and to which also the common glow- 

 worm belongs. The only species contained in my slender collection is 

 Nacerdes lineata, Fab., which I have taken in great numbers at Little River 

 under the bark of decayed trees. I have also a Ptinus, taken in Riccarton 

 Wood by Mr. Fereday, and I find that an Atopida, two species of Opilus, an 

 Anohius, and three other species of Ptinus, occur in New Zealand. 



The section PIetero7iiera, of which the meal-worm, so well known to bird 

 fanciers, may be taken as a familiar type, is next to be noticed. Our species 

 are mostly small in comparison with those of Europe, but the individuals 

 composing them are often exceedingly numerous. These are light-shunning 

 insects found under bark and stones, and not unfrequently amongst sacks and 

 clothes which have been long undisturbed. One species is often met with in 

 Christchurch, but I have taken a much larger under bark in Talbot Forest, 

 and I once found a small species so abundant on the sea coast beyond Amuri 

 as to be a perfect nuisance. Many species of this section may be easily 

 mistaken for Carabidoi. Adelium Jiar'paloideSy a small species, affords a good 



