30 



INTRODUCTION. 



on which it settles, just like a wasp hunting for food. Many 

 beetles, especially the many inquilines of ants' nests, resemble 

 ants ; the curious little Carabid, Ega (Selina) westei-manni, from 

 Ceylon, is exactly like a small black ant (vide p. 58), and others 

 from various groups (Longicornia, Lamellicornia, Staphy- 

 linid.e, etc.) bear a close resemblance to hairy bees. Occasionally 

 a beetle possessing offensive qualities is imitated by a more 

 defenceless insect of another order. 



It is well known that certain groups of insects of various orders 

 in a single district often present a uniform scheme of colour, which 

 evidently has a warning significance. This is called Synapo- 

 sematic or Common Warning Coloration. The subject is fully 

 discussed and well illustrated in an excellent paper by Mr. Guy 

 Marshall (Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1902, part iii, pis. xviii &xix). 

 The chief families of Coleoptera which enter into synaposematic 

 combinations appear to be the following : — Meloidje, Mely- 



RID.E, CaNTHARID^E, COCCINELLID^, EROTYLID.E, EnDOMYCHID^E, 



Chrysomelid.e, and Clerid^e. 



The facts of mimicry, protective resemblance, warning colours, 

 etc., have perhaps been too much emphasized and given a signifi- 

 cance which they will not altogether bear ; but, on the other hand, 

 they are iu many instances so striking that they cannot be ex- 

 plained away as mere matters of coincidence. But there is much 

 need of more field-work on these subjects ; exact observations are 

 required as to the natural relations which subsist between these 

 mimicking species and their models, as well as judicial and care- 

 fully devised experiments which shall adequately test those theories 

 that have been advanced to explain these remarkable resemblances. 

 As yet very few have done such work in India, but their numbers 

 are increasing, and a rich and interesting harvest awaits them. 



Metamorphosis. 



The metamorphoses of the Coleoptera are considered as com- 

 plete, and for such insects the term Holometabola has been 

 proposed. The pupae, however, are almost always very soft, and 

 their appendages are not fastened to the body, differing notably 

 iu this respect from those of the Lepidoptera. Some pupa?, how- 

 ever, as pointed out by Dr. Sharp and others, are truly obtected, 

 having a hard shell and the rudimentary appendages fastened by 

 exudations to the body, like Lepidopterous pupa? ; these belong 

 to the Staphylinid^e. Others, again, are intermediate between 

 the latter and the ordinary pupa?. The larva? of Coleoptera are 

 extremely variable in form and habits ; many of these will be 

 noticed during the course of the work ; comparatively little is 

 known about their life-history as they are, except in the case of 

 the wood-feeding species, very difficult to rear. As might be ex- 

 pected, the predatory larva? (Carabidje, Dytiscid^;, Staphy- 

 linidje, etc.) are, as 'a rule, very active ; this is not, however, 

 always the case, as the larva? that construct burrows and lie in 



