Entomological Society. 



6353 



two or three hours of an equatorial sun soon dispersed the latter : of the former, the 

 large-bodied Larnellicurnes became a prey to flocks of insectivorous birds, especially 

 bands of little sandpipers; they ate only the abdomen : the Carabides and Heinip- 

 tera they would not touch ; many of them remained entire for many days, others fell to 

 fragments after being exposed to the sun. The waters of the rivers at this season were 

 retreating, but the fragments of insects were covered by a stratum of blown sand, aud 

 this may serve to explain the method by which masses of the bodies and mutilated 

 remains of insects become imbedded in fossiliferous strata. 



" This wholesale destruction of insect life does not occur frequently ; in fact, I 

 have witnessed it on a large scale only once a year. On many sultry evenings, in the 

 fine season, numbers of insects are to be seen flying abroad, but the various conditions 

 required for the grand immolation do not combine frequently. I have found many 

 interesting Coleopterous insects by standing in a favorable place on the banks of the 

 river, and observing them as they pass ; it is necessary to have the clear western sky 

 in the background. The insects are very uncertain in their appearance ; it is not even 

 every sultry night that proves favorable ; they appear to be acted upon by atmospheric 

 conditions which we cannot ourselves appreciate or calculate. Many of the insects 

 taken flying in this way are the same as those found drowned on the beach, as related 

 above, especially the Scaritidae, the Polystichi, Heteromera, &c. ; but many others are 

 different, — for instance, many small Longicornes, especially Chrysoprasis, are eminently 

 day-insects. 



" One evening on the banks of the Amazons at St. Paulo I witnessed an extraor- 

 dinary flight of Coleoptera, almost all Scaritidae ; there was literally a shower of them, 

 nearly all the same species — some twenty or thirty — which I had previously found at 

 Ega, on the beach. These insects are extremely difficult to find in their proper habi- 

 tats ; of the thirty or more species of Scaritidae found flying in the evening, I have 

 not taken more than five or six in situ, and those at roots of herbage in shady places. 

 Sometimes these nocturnal insects may be attracted by a lamp at night, placed in a 

 favorable place, but a prolific night rarely occurs ; in this way I have taken a great 

 variety of Pselaphidae, Scaritidae, including the Solenogenys fceda ; Staphylinidae, 

 including some extraordinary forms allied to Ophites ; also Palpicornes, Calleidas, 

 even Cicindelas ; numbers of Harpalidae, genus Selenophorus, but no Longicornes, 

 for many night-flying insects appear not to be attracted by light." 



Mr. Stevens stated that Mr. Bates proposed to return to England in the spring of 

 next year, having spent the last eleven years in the investigation of the Entomology 

 of the region of the Amazons. 



Mr. Westwood trusted he would receive a hearty welcome from the entomologists 

 of this country, whose collections he had enriched with South-American insects to a far 

 greater extent than had been done by any other individual. 



Mr. Stainton read descriptions of twenty-five new species of Indian Micro- 

 Lepidoptera received from Mr. Atkinson, of Calcutta. 



Mr. Waterhouse read a paper intituled " Notes on the Species of Elateridae in the 

 Stephensian Cabinet.'' — E. S. 



XVII. 



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