96 TEOPICAL NATURE, AND OTHER ESSAYS. 



Longicorns in the immense length of their elegant 

 antennae ; while the diamond beetles of Brazil, the 

 Eupholi of the Papuan islands, and the Pachyrhynchi of 

 the Philippines, are veritable living jewels. 



Where a large extent of virgin forest is cut down in the 

 early part of the dry season, and some hot sunny weather 

 follows, the abundance and variety of beetles attracted by 

 the bark and foliage in various stages of drying is am'azing. 

 The air is filled with the hum of their wings. Golden and 

 green Buprestidae are flying about in every direction, and 

 settling on the bark in full sunshine. Green and spotted 

 rose-chafers hum along near the ground ; long-horned 

 Anthribidse are disturbed at every step ; elegant little 

 Longicorns circle about the drying foliage, while larger 

 species fly slowly from branch to branch. Every fallen 

 trunk is full of life. Strange mottled, and spotted, and 

 rugose Longicorns, endless Curculios, queer-shaped 

 Brenthidse, velvety brown or steel-blue Cleridoe, brown 

 or yellow or whitish click beetles, (Elaters), and 

 brilliant metallic Carabidae. Close by, in the adja,cent 

 forest, a whole host of new forms are found. Elegant 

 tiger-beetles, leaf-hunting Carabidse, musk-beetles of 

 many sorts, scarlet Telephori, and countless Chrysomelas 

 Hispas, Coccinellas, with strange Heteromera, and many 

 curious species which haunt fungi, rotten bark or decay- 

 ing leaves. With such variety and beauty the most 

 ardent entomologist must be fully satisfied ; and when, 

 every now and then, some of the giants of the tropics 

 fall in his way^ — grand Prionidse or Lamiidse several 

 inches long, a massive golden Buprestis, or a monster 

 horned Dynastes — he feels that his most exalted notions 

 of the insect-life of the tropics are at length realized. 



