COLEOPTERA. 
223 
dominal segment, wliich is very large above, shows in the middle 
two narrow longitudinal raised bands, rather wider apart in front 
than behind. These are formed by a great number of fine ribs 
(from 126-150). The truncated elytra have a sharp ridge on the 
hinder margin beneath, near the suture ; and when the fifth ab- 
dominal segment is moved up and down by muscular action, the 
friction of the elytral ridge over the riblets of the longitudinal 
ridges of - the abdomen produces the sound emitted by these 
Insects. In Geotrupes (pp. 129, 130, pi. 10. fig. 8) the sound- 
producing apparatus is appended to the hinder coxa3. On the 
underside of these coxae there is a raised band, divided by trans- 
verse lines into a great number of fine ribs. Upon these the 
sharp hinder margin of the third abdominal segment is rubbed, 
and the friction produces a grating sound. The number of ribs 
on each of the coxal ridges is about 100 ; the thickness of tlie 
ribs in G. vernalis is 0 02 millim. and in G. sylvaticus 0*025 
mi Him. Landois describes (pp. 130, 131) the jumping of the 
Elateridee and the sharp little sound caused by the snapping of 
the prosternal process into the cavity of the mesosternum ; also 
the ticking of Anobiwn (pp. 131, 132), the mode of production 
of which has been a good deal discussed of late by some English 
entomologists. He describes the Insects as fixing themselves 
firmly on all their six feet, and then tapping against the neigli* 
bouring wood by a series of hammering movements of the whole 
body backwards and forwards. The ticking is caused by the 
contact of the mandibles with the wood. The humming noise 
produced by the Cockchafers (Melolontha) during flight is pro- 
duced by a peculiar arrangement of the closure of the tracheae, 
described by the author in another paper (see p. 201). To this 
apparatus a sort of tongue is appended in the Cockchafers ; and 
this, being set in motion by the rapid passage of the air during 
flight, gives rise to the well-known humming noise. 
Mocquerys has indicated that the derivation, and consequently the 
adulteration, of wool may he ascertained by the remains of Beetles contained 
in it. An anonymous writer gives a list of the. species (48) found in Russian 
wool, derived from a case exhibited by Mocquerys in the Paris Exhibition of 
1807. (Horae Soc. Ent. Ross. v. p. 26.) 
Lindemann (Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. xxxix. pt. 2. pp. 314-315) announces 
as a remarkable discovery that “ some pupae of Beetles, in becoming trans- 
formed into Beetles, strip off their pupa-skin ! ” Dohrn remarks upon this 
announcement (Stett. ent. Zeit. 1807, pp. 310-318). 
ClCINDELIDA?. 
Castelnau publishes (Trans. Roy. Soc. Viet. viii. pp. 30-38) some notes 
on Australian Cicindelidae, in which he calls attention to the absence of those 
Insects in the southern parts of Australia, and indicates their distribution in 
other regions of that continent. A Megacephala has occurred in Western 
Queensland ; Tetracha occurs in the north and east, Disttpsidera in Queens- 
