HAMMAM-ES-SALAHIN 
161 
run out on to the open and heard it make the stridulating noise 
characteristic of the genus, she then saw the handsome big Carabid 
Anthia sex-maculata , Fabr., running about in the middle of the little 
bush. Query, was the big Carnivore in pursuit of the lesser ? The 
Graphipterus, which is fairly common about Biskra, has quite soft 
integuments. It courses over the sand with surprising rapidity, and 
its broken coloration, a neat pattern of black and white, makes it 
remarkably inconspicuous; it is apterous; when pursued it often 
conceals itself under stones, or among the roots of plants or buries 
itself (like Zophosis) rapidly in the sand. The big Anthia, a much 
less common insect, is also exceedingly swift of foot; it too is black 
and white, but of such ferocious aspect that I nicknamed it the 
Hyaena beetle. Presumably it is the master beast of all insects in 
those parts, as perhaps it is the swiftest of foot. 
I learned from Suleiman that the flowers of the fine Orobanchid 
parasite, Phdypaca violacea , Desf., are infested with a small Weevil, 
a species of Baridius. The same keen-eyed collector pointed out the 
fine large Mantid Blepharopsis mendica, Fabr., which was quite in¬ 
conspicuous as it sat upon a glaucous green desert plant. Its elytra 
are decorated with a grey-green pattern strangely like certain cheap 
wall-papers. Only two other members of the Orthoptera were met 
with, viz. Euprepocnemis plorans, and Pamphagus algericus, Brunn., 
the latter some little height up the mountain, where also, in an 
absolutely waterless ravine the Dragon-fly Lestes sponsa, Hansem., 
seemed somewhat out of place, but it had probably gone there a- 
hunting, since others of the same species, together with Micronympha 
elegans, Lind., were taken by Suleiman along the stream which flows 
from the hot sulphur spring. Gonia capitata, De Geer, was the only 
fly that I brought away, but the Aculeata were represented by a 
couple of female Podalirius crinipes, and a male Osmia latreillei, 
Spin., as well as several Apis mellifica. In addition to these were 
two species of ant, one, Myrmecocystus viaticus , of which a worker 
was seen carrying with the greatest ease an apparently impossible 
load; the other, the glistening M. bombycinus, Bog., with its thorax 
and abdomen seemingly electro-plated. My daughter and I were 
interested in watching the workers of this very agile ant engaged in 
excavating, or at least in removing, sand from the mouth of the nest; 
the sand was shifted but a very short distance by an excessively 
rapid movement of the hind-legs. While this was going on a 
“ soldier ” appeared, thrust out his head, as if to reconnoitre, and 
then withdrew, perhaps to report our presence. 
I visited Hammam-es-Salahin three times; on the last occasion 
M 
