126 



thickened and incurved edges of the elytra ; another, but smaller, 

 species is widely spread, and is the chief food of the Grammato- 

 phorce. An interesting form of Elaterinse was captured, one inch 

 long, and of a brown colour marbled with white. Two small 

 species of butterflies, an Ogyris and another, were seen in the 

 oasis. A few species of JBlattidce are active during the daylight, 

 but I never saw a single wingedf orm. One small species which is 

 common has the upper surface studded with small tubercles 

 and longitudinal ridges. A species of Polyzosteria as beautiful 

 as P. Mitclielli, Angas (JBlatta), was also taken ; it differs from 

 it a little in shape, but chiefly in the coloration. 



Spiders are chiefly represented by large Lycosa, whose open 

 vertical burrows, lined with web, are to be found wherever the 

 soil is suitable. One species was noted to have the cephalo- 

 thorax brown with black rays, thighs black, rest of legs grey, 

 abdomen with bands of black and grey. Some nondescripts 

 were collected ; but, like all the soft-bodied animals 

 when placed in the spirit-bottles, they did not withstand 

 the disintegrating effect of camel transport. A singular 

 form was captured on the grey surface of a stone near 

 Wilson's Bluff, which was of a dirty colour, and had a pre- 

 hensile abdomen — that is to say, that part of its body was much 

 depressed and somewhat narrowed posteriorly, which, when the 

 animal was touched, was firmly applied to the angular edge of 

 the stone on which it rested. In this squat attitude it looked 

 like a small lump of dirt, and, confident in its powers of 

 mimetism, it refused to be roused into activity. Several times 

 did I change its position, but in every instance did it bring the 

 clasping power of its abdomen into requisition. Another 

 species was of a triangular shape, and of the colour of dead 

 sandalwood, stripped of its bark, on which it was caught. 



A slender and pale yellow-coloured scorpion lives under 

 stones along the cliff top, and among dead timber in other 

 parts of the Plateau. A large centipede was taken from the 

 stomach of a Grammatophora, the only example observed. 



Land Mollttsca. — In such districts as I have described the 

 presence of land snails is paradoxical ; yet, nevertheless their 

 prodigious abundance, even on the sterile portions of theBunda 

 Plateau, is one of those features which has not escaped the 

 observation of some of my predecessors. Eyre noted the 

 profusion of snail shells along the line of his march, but 

 incorrectly referred them to fresh water forms. (See ante p. 101). 

 The species most conspicuous for their abundance are Helix 

 nuUaborica, n. sp., and Bulimus indutus, Menke, var. no v. ; they 

 may be gathered by the barrow-loads under the larger bushes, 

 and are thickly strewn over the open country ; indeed, it is no 

 exaggeration to state that every other step that is taken in 



