152 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, 
Brullea than any other insect, was discovered on the sea beach 
at Tairua. My first specimen was captured on the wing in the 
act of trying to effect its escape from some Algz I had 
turned over in December, 1875. On the oth of the following 
month I took four more from a decaying fish that had been cast 
ashore, and then lay embedded amongst sea-weeds. I was ata 
loss to determine whether these four had congregated to feast 
on the fish, or had been the original occupants of the heap, so I 
resolved on a thorough search. I travelled over miles of the 
shore at different times, carefully examined every stranded fish 
and dead bird, everything in short in the shape of carrion, but 
in vain, not a single individual could be found. I did, however, 
secure another specimen amongst Algeze. The result would 
seem to indicate a purely littoral habit, with Algz as the 
natural food ; and, if corroborative evidence were necessary, it 
would be found in the fact of the capture of several individuals 
near Cape Saunders by T. Chalmers, Esq., of Dunedin. 
Our last species, Saprinus pseudocyaneus, occurs, I think, 
throughout New Zealand; but, notwithstanding that, I have 
seen very few specimens. I may here intimate that, as a rule, 
truly indigenous coleoptera are rather scarce individually, and, 
in many cases, appear to decrease in number; whilst, on the 
other hand, imported insects thrive exceedingly well when 
suitable food happens to be available. Saprinus rotundatus, 
which I found in an Auckland bone-mill, is one instance ; and, if 
we desire more, we need only examine grain, the droppings of 
cattle, and hawthorn hedges. 
I daresay most people will give me credit for “keeping my 
eyes open” during my exploration in the bush, so when I state 
that, during the comparatively long period of ten years, I failed 
to find a single example of Saprinus pseudocyaneus in the 
forests, or amongst vegetable matter of any kind, it 
may be taken for granted that the species never lived there. I 
obtained my first two or three specimens on a dead animal at 
Tairua, and all those subsequently taken were found under 
precisely similar conditions, though in widely separated localities, 
but in no instance near the forests. I afterwards received two 
or three from Wellington, where they had been regaling them- 
selves on carrion ; and more recently I asked Mr. S. W. Fulton, 
of Outram, to be kind enough to send me such beetles as he 
could find on the carcasses of sheep on his run. This gentle- 
man, ever ready to assist me, soon forwarded a miscellaneous 
collection, including, as I expected, either one or two of SS. 
pseudocyaneus. These facts seem to prove conclusively that this 
beetle could not exist without animal matter. 
If we now pause to think, several problems will present 
themselves for solution. First of all the question arises, “ Did 
Saprinus pseudocyaneus in past ages live in the primeval forests, 
and afterwards desert them on the advent of the Maories or 
the introduction of quadrupeds?” If we answer in the 
affirmative, we must admit that the total change of life thus 
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