1856.] Entomological Papers. 541 



dered extremely curious by this discovery — diametrically opposed 

 to the distinct statement of so great an authority as the one just 

 alluded to — I now examined other species, and all with the same 

 result, most of them opening the elytra without my assistance in the 

 same manner as the S. alatus, and I have not the slightest doubt 

 that when a sufficient number of specimens enable me to ex- 

 amine the rest it will still be with the same result. That these 

 insects use their organs of night may be gathered from the follow- 

 ing : At a former period I lived in a house situated on a small 

 eminence and overlooking extensive groves of Cocoanut trees, Cin- 

 namon gardens, Paddy fields and patches of jungle. Here I col- 

 lected large numbers of Pselaphidse, especially Euplectus, in thin, 

 scarcely visible spider webs with which the white walls of the house 

 were covered in certain places — thus forming one large trap for 

 anything small flying about. That these had been caught here when 

 on the wing there could be no doubt, but I was much surprised to 

 find with them (what is so common in more congenial localities, 

 here also) a considerable number of Scydmaeni, especially my S. advo- 

 lans and pubescens, as they were said by the most recent authority 

 to be unable to fly, and the position they then found themselves in 

 was one they could not well, or could not possibly, have got into 

 otherwise than by flying. From some reason or other, I am ashamed 

 to say, I did not follow up the matter at the time, but I am now 

 certain on the subject, indeed to remove all doubt and to settle all 

 disputes I have just been so fortunate as to take my S. advolans 

 actually on the wing, flying in my garden in the evening at sunset. 



Having gone so far, I will (in spite of some slight misgivings of be- 

 ing laughed at for telling an old story with so grave a face) add a few 

 descriptive words about the organs in question : The wings of my 

 Scydmseni are ample, about double the size of the whole insect, 

 oblong, having the margin beautifully ciliated and, with the exception 

 of a few yellowish veins at the base, without any visible organs of 

 this kind. 



In spite of the difference in their shape, etc. I believe the species 

 described below all to be genuine Scydmscni as restricted at present. 

 Being, however, unacquainted with the sexual distinctions of these 

 insects (which indeed I believe net to have been satisfactorily 



