made during the Voyage of H.M.S. ( Challenger. 3 581 



In the mean time Mr. Moseley had found out that there were certain 

 spots in the valleys where the tamarisks grew higher than in other places 

 and in clusters, forming a small oasis in this desert place, and that these 

 are the places round which the insects assemble in considerable numbers. 

 Here a MyrmeleonAnxyn, eagerly watches the ants, large colonies of which 

 are to be found. Its imago was also found, folding its wings, when 

 settling, like a Perla, and when flying very much resembling an Agrion, 

 a genus which was not found in these places. Some Ichneumonids 

 (especially a large black species with yellow antennae) and many Diptera 

 (especially an Osmia) are to be seen ; and of Orthoptera there are small 

 and large Acridia and a Gryllus burrowing under the stones. Of Coleo- 

 ptera we got perhaps fifteen to twenty species, most of which belong to 

 Melasomata, a family which is so characteristic of all the countries sur- 

 rounding the Mediterranean. On dead corpses of donkeys, goats, &c, which 

 the inhabitants leave on the spot where they die, one might find a SilpJia, 

 on sunny places fine species of Cicindela, and on the leaves of the tama- 

 risks Coccinellidae are not uncommon. Hemiptera were scarce, only one 

 Cimeoo having been found ; and so were Lepidoptera, both perhaps partly 

 because the season was not propitious, Myriapoda were represented by 

 a large ftcolopendra and a Geopliilus. 



The Araneidss are comparatively very abundant (no Scorpions found), 

 a magnificent large yellow species of Epe'ira extending its net between 

 the branches of the tamarisks, and a yellow crab spider, as well as a 

 Scdticus, living commonly on the ground. Under small labiaceous plants 

 a very fine green spider, not unlike a Theridium, occurs, numerous spe- 

 cimens of which will be found in our bottle. It makes an irregular web 

 in the middle of the shrub, and comes out only when you lift the plant 

 and shake it, then running away with the utmost speed. 



On the beach two Crustacea are to be found; both are rather interest- 

 ing. One of them is a Bemipes, which may be seen half-burrowed in the 

 sand, only its head sticking out and watching for its prey. The boys in 

 the place catch it by throwing a piece of meat on the ground immediately 

 after the waves have gone back, when the Bemipes will come out and try 

 to seize it. The other crustacean, which makes holes on the beach in 

 the dry sand, is Ocypoda ippeus, known from Egypt, Syria, and these 

 islands. It is one of the species which have the eyes on the sides of the 

 stalk, which itself surpasses the eye in length, and is terminated by a 

 tuft of hairs. On the rocks of the beach a Grapsus is very common, 

 hiding itself everywhere in the holes between them ; and at low water 

 Pcdcemon, Pagurus, Eunice, Aplysia, and many shells were easily picked 

 up. A large Ccdappa was caught in the trammel, together with &Scarus, 

 Dactylopterus, and a fine specimen of Zygcena malleus, caught by Mr. 

 Balfour. 



In St. Iago I frequently visited the palm-groves close to the town, 

 where I caught many insects and watched the land-crabs (Gecarcinidae), 



