‘60 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
manner of other sand beetles. A larger Dynastid is here also 
found, apparently performing ail the functions of its existence 
under ground. This is Pimelopus sydneyanus, Blackb., whose 
conjugal domesticity I have disturbed at La Perouse. I have 
also. discovered in the same place two minute Scarabs appar- 
ently of the genus Phycochus. Should there be anything in the 
nature of carrion found on the sands in the Botany District, 
Onthophagus cartert, Blackb., rox tricolor, Blackb., and 
Hypocaccus sinw, Mars., are pretty sure to be present, the last 
a coppery member of the Histeride. Several Anthicide can 
be also wnsanded ; especially those belonging to the curiously 
armoured Mecynotarsus, whose tractile head is protected by an 
elongated anterior process of the prothorax. Of these there 
are probably two or three species, or else great variations of a 
variable species, ziczac, King, though this was described orig- 
inally from S.A. Its name is significant of a black ziczac pattern 
-on the whitish ground of the elytra. 
Under rolling seaweed large numbers of Staphylinide occur, 
of which the largest is Cafius areolatus, Fyl., and commonest 
C. sabulosus, Fvl,; others are O. australis, Redt., C. littoralis, 
Fyl., O. catenatus, Fvl., 0. velutinus, Fyl., and a number of more 
minute genera and species. Amongst the Curculionids are 
‘several species of the genus Mandalotus, undetermined (of which 
-one ornate insect has two white spots on each elytron), found in 
the sand, whilst Aphela algarum, Pasc.,and A. helopoides, Pasc., 
occur under seaweed. There is also a small opaque, black Hlater 
that I have taken commonly at the roots of plants at La Perouse, 
which is at present unidentified and which I have not seen 
elsewhere, while the pretty little Horistonotus bicolor, Rainb., 
is not infrequent in the same position. Judging from the 
number of larvee found it is probable that these sand hills are the 
breeding or incubating grounds of a large number of Coleoptera 
and. other orders, e.g., the ant lion (Myrmeleon). A consider- 
able number of small Carabide can be found under sea weed 
-during the summer months belonging to various genera, while 
the semi-amphibious Cillenwm masterst, Sl. is found under 
‘stones in Middle Harbour and other parts of Port Jackson. 
It will thus be seen that an interesting hour can always be 
“spent in a naturalist’s “beach-combing,” and much yet remains 
to be done in the elucidation of life histories, and in the deter- 
mination of the species of the sandgropers of this as of other 
-coastal districts of Australia. 
HINTS ON COLLECTING ARANEIDA. 
(By the Editor.) ; 
From time to time friends are good enough to forward me 
‘specimens of Araneide, and as many of them have expressed a 
-desire for some information as to how to collect, preserve and 
