ZOOLOGICAL NOTES FROM SYDNEY. 847 



look-out for zoological specimens, as they drew towards me, one 

 of them carrying a magnificent green glittering beetle. He had 

 to come quite close and shout before I could hear him, so 

 tumultuous was the sound. All around on the trees (Eucalyptus), 

 which were here tall and slender, were to be seen scores upon 

 scores of Cicadas* in all imaginable stages — dingy sluggish larvae 

 that had just emerged from their holes at the foot of some tree, 

 some of them just in the act of bursting from the larva-case ; 

 others, again, that had performed this act, standing or climbing 

 slowly up the tree, waiting for their wings (which were hanging 

 like little green globular bags full of fluid) to dry ; and so on up 

 to the beauteous-winged imago flying lightly from tree to tree. 

 In dealing with these insects one cannot fail to notice the habit 

 they have of spurting an acrid fluid as they fly off on being 

 alarmed ; this they eject with some degree of force, and in con- 

 siderable quantity. 



My attention was here attracted by the great number of large 

 handsome red-and-black Hymenoptera (Exeirus sp. ?), which 

 were attacking the Cicadas, relentlessly pursuing them from tree 

 to tree. (Afterwards, on my road home, I came across a speci- 

 men of this large Wasp, hard at work dragging a large green and 

 apparently anaesthetized Cicada across my pathway. Unthink- 

 ingly I separated them, for which I was immediately sorry, as I 

 might have witnessed the performance of stowing the Cicada away 

 in some hole for the use of its assailant's future progeny.) 



Here also I observed large numbers of the Coleoptera known 

 as " Elephant insects " (Curculionidce) of two varieties, one of a 

 uniform dark colour, and the other black and green, both kinds 

 (Chrysolopus spectabilis, Fabr.) being on the branches of a large 

 wattle-tree {Acacia). These wattle-trees are usually swarming 

 with insects, notably Ants, on account of the large amount of 

 gum which is exuded, especially from where there has been a 

 wound. Here the vibration set up in the air by the Cicadas 

 became so intense and so intolerable that I took to my heels, and 

 made for the beach, so that I might gain a brief respite. 



* These consisted chiefly of five species : — Thopha saccata, Psaltoda 

 mcsrens, Cicada angularis, Tibicen curvicosta (this makes a tremendous 

 noise, and can be heard at a great distance, though it is not very large), and, 

 lastly, Cyclochila australasice, of which there are two varieties, one a beau- 

 tiful green, the other yellow, with intermediate forms. 



