358 Mr. H. Donisthorpe on 



damp ditches, etc, is always completely covered by a 

 coating of mud, and when motionless is of course quite 

 invisible. It is very curious, when one is looking for it, 

 to see what is apparently a bit of mud get up and walk 

 away. This is one of the best instances of adventitious 

 protection (Allocryptic Resemblance) we possess in our 

 Coleoptera. 



HETEROCERIDiE. 



Heterocenis. 



Mr. Holland considers that the species of this genus are 

 well protected, on the wet mud in which they live, by 

 their "silky coats" which harmonise well with their sur- 

 roundings and render them very inconspicuous. 



Scarab^iid^:. 



Onthophagus. 



All the species of this genus live in and about dung, 

 and are of a colour which conceals them well in these 

 surroundings. 



Aphodius. 



Mr. Holland says, " The genus Aphodius are chiefly 

 coloured like Cercyon, and have the same protective habits 

 except that they are less active." Some of them are 

 entirely red or brown. The large black species "feign 

 death." They nearly all occur in dung. 



Geotrupes. 



The species of this genus also " feign death." I have 

 noticed this in particular with G. vernalis which I used to 

 capture on Wimbledon Common. I once picked up what 

 I thought was a dead specimen and was agreeably sur- 

 prised to find that it was very much alive. 



Hoplia philanthus, Fuss., Homaloplia ruricola, F., and 

 Serica brimnca, L. 



Mr. Holland suggests that these beetles are all, more or 

 less, like brown leaf scales, or bits of brown leaf, etc. 



Ehizotrogus solstitialis, L. 



Mr. Holland considers that this beetle is protected by 



