6168 



Natural-Hislory Collectors 



with no new Copropliagoiis Lamellicornes, or Cetoniadae, and only 

 three new Cyclocephalaj. Buprestidae and Elaters were not numerous, 

 a few new species occurred — one a Colobogaster, found in cleaving 

 open a piece of fire-wood. Of Chrysobothris I saw scarcel}'^ any, 

 although they are found numerously in ahnost all localities settling in 

 the hot sun on branches of felled trees. Of Longicornes I met with 

 a few onl}' in very fine weather. There were two metallic species of 

 Pyrodes new to me, two pretty little Compsosomce, a lovely Chryso- 

 prasis with golden coppery femora, and about a dozen of the more 

 minute species flying abroad in warm evenings. To procure these 

 latter as well as many other rare Coleoptera flying in the evening, the 

 edge of the high and steep banks of the river offered great advantages ; 

 because in coming up from below they came within reach, and the 

 strong light in the back ground enabled one to discern them. One 

 of the most interesting captures in this family was the Anisocerus 

 One a (ff^// 2/6'), here changed by a transposition of colours into an 

 insect of quite a different appearance from the type, which is very 

 numerous and invariable at Ega. 'J'he black spots have blended with 

 the brown ground-colour, leaving in it several quadrate pale spots 

 arranged somewhat like the black ones in the typical form. All the 

 specimens T found were the same. In the great family Cyclica, I 

 added many new species to my collection. Some groups, such as 

 Coptocycla, are remarkably constant in form, the species being dis- 

 tributed over a very large extent of country in south America ; thus, 

 although I met with many curious species new to me, I find they are 

 known Cayenne, or Columbian species, such as C. cruciata, carnio- 

 lenta, aciculata, vitreata, rubicunda, Cassida trivittata, &c., one or two 

 only I think are new species. In Omaspides, on the contrary, I find 

 the species change from Ega to this place : thus O. basilica is here 

 replaced by an allied, but distinct species, itself not being met with 

 at all. There were also two other species tolerably plentiful on 

 climbing plants in the forest. Another group which multiplies its 

 species in the most prolific manner over districts not far apart is 

 Doryphora : of this I met with many species almost all new to me, 

 but unfortunately only a few specimens of each. 



The last family of Coleoptera to which I shall allude is the Eroty- 

 lidae. The broader or inflated forms of which, which comprise more 

 than half the family, are peculiar to South America, as are the 

 Ithomiaj and Heliconiae, and, like the former, offering one or several 

 peculiar species in every locality fifty or a hundred miles apart: they 



