THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
220 
of the district, which extend for many miles 
along the valley of the Guadarranque and the 
adjoining hillsides. These woods are chiefly com- 
posed of the Quercus svber (cork oak) and Q. lusi- 
tan >ca, with a sprinkling of ash ; and, where the 
ground is marshy, with alder trees of unusual size, 
and a very varied undergrowth. Most of the 
cork trees have a very curious appearance from 
the bark being stripped off to a height of ten or 
twelve feet from the ground: a good deal of the 
timber is recklessly cut down to be converted into 
charcoal, but it is rare to find a log or stump in 
good condition for working at. This wood never 
failed on every visit (and I walked out there at 
least weekly throughout April, May, and June) 
to produce something new and interesting to me; 
the furthest point reached on foot being the 
“Long Stablest 14 miles from the Rock, which is 
thus the limit of my collecting. 
The local list of butterflies is not at present a 
large one, consisting of 55 species, including the 
specimen of Danais Plexippus, L.,* recorded in 
Ent. Mo. Mag., 1886, vol. xxiii, p. 162: and of 
these, 30 species, indicated by an asterisk, have 
been observed by me on the Rock itself. Some 
900 species of Coleoptera have as yet rewarded my 
efforts, but this Order is evidently far from 
exhausted here, as I never fail to find one or more 
additions in every walk in the country, the other 
Orders of insects, especially the Hemiptera and 
Hymenoptera, appear also to be very well repre- 
sented. 
At the time of my arrival here, on the 20th 
October, 1886, the aspect of the Rock presented a 
curious mixture of autumn and spring, some recent 
copious showers of rain having caused the fresh 
green grass to sprout up e\ erywhere, with a good 
number of flowers in favourable spots, while, at 
the same time, the leaves of the plane and poplar 
trees were brown, withered, and falling. Insects 
were by no means numerous on the wing, as 
besides those butterflies already mentioned as 
existing all the year round, only old specimens of 
Papilio JJackaon* Satyrus Megcera* Lyccena 
bretica , L* and Tdirnnus, Hb.,* Spilothyrus alccterr., 
E.,* and Macroglossa stellatarum, were to be met 
with. A male Chrrroravipa celerio in very fine 
order was brought to me on November 12th, and 
a Mw tfuctvxn were taken on ivy blQoin, which, 
however, does not appear to be nearly as attractive 
as at home. 
In Coleoptera a great deal more work was to be 
done, and, during the months of November and 
December, I obtained a large number of species: 
my usual hunting ground being the lower slopes 
of the Sierra Carboaera and the open country 
between these hills and Campamento, easily' 
reached in little more than an hour’s walking. As 
| an instance of the abundance of beetle life here, I 
■ may mention that 100 species were not unfrequen- 
tly taken in an afternoon’s work (on one day I 
bottled 135 species,) and from 30 to 40 were some- 
times shaken out of a single tuft of grass. Turning 
stones was also very remunerative, three Carabi 
! (rugosus, F., melanchol ictus, F., and another spe- 
i cies) being of frequent occurrence, as well as 
Scarites hespericus , Dej., Siagona Jenissoni , Dej. 
(a most active creature), and Aptinus displosor, 
Duf. When a stone, on being raised, revealed 
half a dozen or more of the latter insect, as often 
happened, the noise of the explosions of these 
j large and powerful “Bombardiers” was quite 
startling, and the volatile liquid they discharged 
was strong enough to cause a distinct sensation of 
burning in my fingers, which were deeply stained 
brown for several days afterwards. At least five 
species of Brachinus were present, the little pallid 
B. testaceus, Ramb., and sclopeta, F., being the 
most noteworthy: with the latter Drypta dentata , 
Rossi, occurred very copiously in damp places. 
Callistus lunatus, F., and the beautiful Lebia 
pubipennis, Duf., were but seldom found, but the 
usually rare Singilis bicolor , Ramb., was quite 
plentiful, with two species of Platytarsus, and of 
Cymindis, Licinus silphoides, F. (variety), Ma- 
nor evs cegf/ptiacus, Dej. (in sandy spots), Chlce- 
nius chrysocephalus, Rossi, and azureus, Dej. (rare), 
Ortkomus hispanica, Dej., Perms politus, Dej., 
and the elegant Feronia crenata , Dej., among 
others. The large and fine Ditomus cephalotes , 
Dej., occurred rarely near San Roque; two species 
of Aristus were not unfrequent, with the active 
little Apoli&mifBt, rttfus, Rossi, under almost every 
big stone. Many interesting forms of Pselaphida- 
and Cci/iJmrpnidce were to be seen, on close "scru- 
tiny, clinging to the under-sides of the stones with 
sundry Staphylinidoe, the rare and curious Cteno- 
mastax Kiesenwetteri , Ktz., among them: as well 
