18 L, Peringtiepi Insects Injurious to [Jan. 28, 



with, the '^Dori/cera spinicornis,'^ from Fernando Po on the West 

 Coast. 



NUMBER OF SOUTH AFRICAN COLEOPTERA. 



The number of South African described Coleoptera compiled from 

 the Munich Catalogue amounted 10 years ago to 4,920, not including 

 the family of Staphylinidae. In that number are included the insects 

 from M zambique in the East, to Damaraland in the West. But many 

 of the Mozambican insects described in Peter's *'Eeiss nach Mozam- 

 bique," are also found in Delagoa Bay ; many, if not most, of the few 

 from Damaraland, described in Boheman's Insecta Caffrariae, are 

 found in the Transvaal ; most of the Transvaal insects are found in 

 Natal and many of them on the Orange and Vaal Elvers, and 

 doubtless those Natal forms are also found in the adjoining districts of 

 Kaffraria so that, it maj' be said, that fully two-thirds of that number 

 inhabit Cape Colony proper, and if we add those insects, new to science, 

 contained in the South African Museum collection and in my own, we 

 come to the respectable number of about 3,250 species of described 

 Coleoptera, a very large number indeed. 



Of South African wood-eating beetles, either ligniperdous (that is to 

 say devouring wood) or living in the decomposed timber, either in the 

 larval state, or in the imago (perfect state), being those bearing 

 relation to the devastation of trees, I will enumerate the families and 

 number of tnown species. Before, however, giving that enumeration, 

 I should explain that, with the exception of the whole family of 

 Bostrichidae, sufficient proofs have not been forthcoming to show that 

 so-called xylophagous insects necessarily cause the death of living 

 trees or at least of those that are healthy. 



I am rather inclined to think that the contrary is the case. The 

 instinct, I almost said the intelligence, of insects is truly wonderful, 

 and I can hardly believe that small insects, in small numbers, attacking 

 a tree in very healthy condition, can make or pierce galleries 

 impairing the health of the said tree, without some attempt being 

 made in the part of the tree itself to get rid of its enemies by an 

 abundant flow of sap or rosin, or such like matter. The minute 

 larvae must necessarily be drowned in their galleries by that flow of 

 sap. But when the insects attack the parts of trees already 

 deteriorated, the tree will have no remedy against the intruders, 

 because the neighbourhood of the parts so affected is already in a 

 morbid condition which will be accelerated or spread, as the holes 

 bored by the insects will admit damp and, therefore, minute fungi 

 following in their suite. You have, doubtless, noticed how quickly 

 the timber in such affected parts becomes deteriorated, and the 

 entomological collector can safety expect to find an ample harvest of 

 insects in the humus thus accelerated if not caused mostly by insect 

 agency. Certain forest trees have a wonderful vitality. We have an 

 instance of it in some of the avenue oaks in Cape Town, some of 

 whicn are perfectly hollow and yet apparently healthy. Now, since 

 they have been (under the supervision of Mr. De Vasselot, the 

 Superintendent of Woods and Forests) freed from the decayed branches, 

 and all the intertices carefully cleaned, filled with cement, and tarred, 

 to keep the insects off, their old sores have mended wonderfully, and 

 in fact, some of the cavities have been naturally filled, over the cement, 

 by the growth of the adjacent liber, and will hardly show any scars 



