396 L. Peringuey, I94 
Psammodes, very rapid indeed in their motions are their very close allies the species of Trachynotus. Mostly 
all long legged, they run with great rapidity, and perhaps it is on that account that some species are 
widely distributed, especially in the Karroo area, but others, without any apparent reason for their being 
so, are extremely local. Many of the species bear in life stripes of greyish pulverulence; one T. bohemani 
has bands of a sulphureous yellow indumentum. The male Trachynotus does not tap the ground with its 
abdomen which is also bare of villous patches, like its very close ally Trachynotidus, most of the species 
of which are capable of moderate speed only. The number of species of Molurinae collected by 
Dr. Schultze is 25. 
Hopatrinae: 7 species were met with, among them are four species of Gonopus and one of 
Anomalipus. 
They are clad in a coat of mail that might defy the power of the crunching jaws of lizards, and 
possibly the sharp teeth of the rodents, but their coating is not proof against the attack of the numberless 
ground spiders (Avicularidae) which know so well how to insert into the joints of the armour their deadly 
fangs, through which the spider sucks out the contents of the body of its victim made more fluid by the 
venom. 
Pedinidae: This sub-family is represented by only two genera which are endemic, but have a wide 
ränge in the western part of South Africa. 
The Trachyscelinae; Tenebrioninae and Helopinae are poorly represented, and only one 
gaily coloured member of the Strongylinae was met with. 
Curculionidae. 
The proportion in South Africa of ground loving weevils is not yet quite accurately established, but 
the number is indeed very great. Of the 52 species collected by Dr. Schultze no less than 44 belong to 
that category; 4 frequent low dwarfish bushed; 2 are found under the bark of trees and I believe occa- 
sionally in flowers ; one is the world-spread corn-weevil. 
Microcerus is represented by one species found in the whole of the Karroid area ; Episus by four 
kinds. I doubt if there are species of Coleoptera, and for that matter insects of any Order, that could 
compete for adaptation to concealment with any species of Episus. Not only is their verisimilitude to the 
soil and its protuberances truly great, but also is their attitude really astonishing in case of suspected or 
anticipated danger. I species of Microcerus and 4 of Episus were collected. 20 species of Brachycerus were 
obtained. This proportion : 20 out of 52 : does seem large, but a collecting trip which I undertook in Little 
Namaqualand brought about a similar result in proportion to the number of Curculionidae obtained, although 
I carried on there a systematic entomological research for members of this family. The reasons are two fold : 
1°. Their hard outer skeleton : So hard of texture is the integument of these weevils that few 
rodents are indeed capable of making an impression on their outer integument, which I have often found 
very difficult to pierce with a steel needle ; and so hard of digestion are they that I have seen examples 
taken quite whole and outwardly uninjured from the gizzard of the omnivorous secretary bird, Serpentarius 
secretarius, and I am also told of the great bastard Otis kori. I had in my possession exemples of 
Brachycerus cancellatus Gyl., used as pendants to necklaces taken on Zululand battlefields from dead warriors, 
and all of them perfectly well preserved outwardly. But if prone to resist the teeth of a rodent, or the 
digestive property of the gizzard of a bird, they, like some of the Gonopids of the Tenebrionid families are 
not proof against the attacks of the Avicularid spiders, the nests of which are seldom found without bleached 
carcasses of Brachycerid and other armour-clad weevils still adhering to the short silk meshes. 
