Bairstow : Natural History Notes — South Africa. 103 



sugar-tongs or wooden clothes-clips. It is a fact worthy of passing 

 remark that kloofs and mountains maintain the highest vegetative 

 development upon their southern slopes. I have observed also that 

 scorpions prefer a southern position, and are somewhat gregarious in 

 disposition. 



Rivers bisecting or subdividing localities, separating human habita- 

 tions into states and sections, spread out their tributary arms for the 

 dispersion of animal tribes and species, each diminutive territory 

 evincing a distinct generic or specific fauna] and floral localisation at 

 once striking and significant. On this slope occurs one species of 

 Arachnid ; on that, another quite dissimilar. I submit no theory of 

 universality, nor do I desire to place undue stress thereupon ; never- 

 theless, a collecting-box comparatively regulated and stored will 

 reveal, in a couple of hoards from different positions, a wonderful 

 contradiction of natural existences. I remember New Brighton, 

 Cheshire, as the happy hunting ground for JV. zomria, and Penmaen- 

 mawr for A. contiguaria. Of course food-plant may partly solve the 

 problem of eccentricity in both insects ; and whilst the Cheshire sand- 

 hills provide peculiar advantages in respect of position, &c., for zonaria, 

 it is quite probable that much patient search will eke out a new 

 locality for coydlgiiaria^ endowed by Nature with equal requirements for 

 this insect's welfare. But here, a paltry stream cutting up level 

 ground where food-plants on either side apparently correspond, separ- 

 ates families and separates species. Here is a tiny brook; on either 

 hand a declivity. Zeritis Jlphfsus* — (I humbly scrape to thee, O 

 Prince of Lyc^md(E\) — patronises a southern ground, and rarely, 

 though a magnificent flyer, intrudes upon the opposite domain. 



Away with fancy freaks and theory ! Bu2;z ! Buzz ! Bzzz ! Is it a 

 bee I Buzz ! or a wasp ? Buzz ! It is a beetle. Buzz, Buzz, Bzzz ? 

 Please remark, the final consummation of Buzzes changes form. What 

 a trifle to write about, I hear you say. No, sir, not a trifle. The 

 final buzz has led me to many a grand Buprestu. Netting is useless 

 amongst Mimosa bushes, whose thorn- spikes have demoralised into 

 shreds the well-cut breeches of more than one astute Coleopterist. My 

 maxim is " Wait, watch, listen." When the last hermaphrodite Buzz, 

 indicating curiosity satisfied, is pronounced, then I go for that beetle. 

 A tap on the bush, and whack tumbles the old grumbler into my 

 helmet. It is impossible to conceive a more beautiful insect than 

 Mirsida of the South. The head, thorax and elytra are sprinkled with 

 gamboge — yellow tufts of powdery hair; and over the base of 



* An extremely local butterfly. 



