JOHANNESBURG 
205 
day at these altitudes the conditions were decidedly wintry, and the 
night of August 28th was cold. 
Johannesburg, Transvaal, lat. 26° 10' S., alt. 5700 ft. 
Aug. 30th—Sept. 2nd. 
The weather during our short stay was chilly and almost sunless, 
while the time available only permitted of two short afternoon walks 
in the outskirts just beyond West Cliff. 
But three butterflies were seen, Pymmeis cardui ; Papilio demo- 
docus ; and the Skipper Parnara ayresii, Trim., a species that does not 
appear to be widely spread. Moths were about as poorly repre¬ 
sented by the cosmopolitan Nomophila noctuella , by Sterrha sacraria , 
of the dingy South African form, lacking the crimson colour, and 
by that obscure Phycid, the almost cosmopolitan Etiella zinckenella, 
Treit. Thus four out of the six Lepidoptera were denizens of Europe 
as well as South Africa. 
The most promising mode of collecting appeared to be turning 
over stones, old tins, etc., on the veldt; this back-aching process 
yielded Ants in great plenty, the commonest species being the big¬ 
headed Camponotus marginatus , Latr., which turned up in this 
locality only; it is a very shiny insect, intensely black, but with 
red legs and antennae. Close by, the more generally distributed C '. 
maculatus was found, while the long black Plectroctena caffra, Spin., 
the smaller Pheidole megacephala , and two Cremastogaster sordidula , 
Nyl., var., were also met with. There were in addition to the Ants 
plenty of Termites. Indeed the great abundance of both Ants and 
Termites is the most striking point in the South African insect 
fauna. When I asked local people what was the food of the ants 
the reply was, Termites. What, then, did the Termites eat ? My 
conjecture was that they lived upon the roots of plants which did not 
show above ground during the dry season. 
The beetles included several Carabids, viz.: Chlaenius sellatus, 
Dej., two; another Chlaenius that may possibly be new; Harpalus 
deceptor, Pering., nine specimens; H. angustipennis , Boh., two; Macro - 
cheilus dorsalis , Klug, one; Trechus rufipes , Boh., one; then there were 
two of a Trigonopus that may possibly be new; the very distinctly 
marked Graphipterus cordiger ; an Opatrum that is probably aren- 
arium, six specimens; an unnamed Psaryphis ; a Lamellicorn of 
the genus Aphodius that is not represented in the National Collection; 
two Weevils, Hipporhinus corniculahis , Eahr.; and Braehycerus severus, 
