112 Indian Insects — House Visitants. 



or two predatory Cicindelas were there, though smaller in size, 

 and more sombre in colour than the pretty species of this 

 country. The lamellicorn beetles came: but there was no- 

 thing to wonder at in this : it being very common, eyen when 

 other insects were absent, for a species of this tribe, belonging 

 to the genus Bulboceros to wing its droning flight in at the 

 door, and up and down the room, after which it was wont to 

 tumble backwards on the ground, and lie struggling for some 

 time before it could regain its footing, or acquire leyer power 

 sufficient to rise upon the wing. Species of genera with soft 

 elytra were, beyond others, numerous in individuals; and this 

 was remarkable about them, as it was indeed more or less of 

 all the other families, that every fortnight or so, the species 

 changed, those that were common at the beginning growing 

 more rare, and those of which there had been seen but a single 

 individual or two becoming numerous. 



One of the Cimieidce has been already mentioned. Other 

 Hemiptera presented themselves for observation, the one that 

 left the deepest trace upon the memory being a large Meduvius, 

 which on being seized, would turn round, and with its suctorial 

 mouth inflict a deep envenomed wound on the finger. 



The Orthoptera sent to the assembly some species of the 

 locust family, this being noticeable about their habits that, 

 whereas the other insects, while they remained with us, kept 

 with tolerable steadiness to the table, and somehow managed 

 to take themselves off altogether before morning, these, after 

 having had enough of the table, manifested certain proclivities 

 towards the wall, with which they soon made acquaintance 

 and from which they were in no hurry to depart, for they 

 were often to be seen standing there in a sleepy way after 

 sunrise. 



A very interesting Xeuropterous insect, though not abund- 

 ant, was still occasionally to be met with — the Myrmecoleon 

 or ant lion. It was like a dragon fly, but had much more 

 conspicuous antennae, and doubtless came from the neighbour- 

 ing hill, where its larvae might be disinterred from the bottom 

 of small funnel-shaped holes in the light sandy soil. But of all 

 the Neuroptera none figured so conspicuously as the Termites 

 or white ants. They were in company with a large black ant 

 of the Hymenopterovs order, to which they seemed in some way 

 mysteriously drawn. The Termites which flew around the 

 lamp had four gauzy wings, but attached to them so lightly 

 that when they dashed against any solid body, their wings flew 

 off, and they became degraded into creeping things, very much 

 like ear-wigs but without the forceps. 



The curious insect- drama never looked more anomalous than 

 when it was enacted during- the time of divine service in church. 



