, 1889-07-24

NNS OISA hNA
and striking against the wall behind the
lamp they fell to the floor, where they
crept in a Seething mass, those coming to-
the surface making desperate efforts to
rise, when they Immediately struck the
lamp or wall and fell again, only to renew
the Intellectual effort. A handbrush and
duSt-pan were procured, and they wers.
swept and shoyeliel up, with the result
that two galvanised buckets (that had
been previously One.third filled with
water) were immediately filled with them.
and subsequently during the evening u
kerOsine tin was filed also. AS the unSup.
ported word of the most veracious man
in the world would not be accepted on the
weight of a fish or the length of % snake, SO
this statement regarding cuckles may be
doubted but as to the two bucketSful, Mr..
McTurk, who was dining with us, eau
attest, as they were filed in his presence.
Walking down through the town afterwards
with him, q dense swarm, each Individual
pelting headlong against the glass, was
seen about each of the street lamps, and
in a friends house that we visited on the
way, the neighbOurhood of the lamp had
to be abandoned for a quiet retreat where
there was less light to attract the reckless
in flight. After that night there were on
other nights two or three invasioDs, and
though one was Seyerer than usual, none
was to be compared to the first memorable
night. In the poultry yard the next
morning; when the buckets and other
vessels were emptied out, there was such
a feast of cuckleS as probably no poultry
in the world ever had before on the like
abundant scale. The fowls aud turkeys
and ducks ate to repletion, till they had
helpleSSly to give in, and SEE the cuckleS,
under their eyes, creep away all over the
yard,-their only mode of escape, for they
never take to fight during the day. There
is, to tow inhabitants at least, som
uncertainty as to the habits and node of
life of these, .creatureS-as 10 where thew
come from ol-theSe invaSiOns and<where
they retire too after the house lights are
put out ; tor, however plentiful they NAV
be overnight one is rarely found left in
the house i'll the morning. In DR.. Dalton'S
work on Guiana this beetle is called
MGerGSptS MORO, while in Mr.. i'm Thuru's
it is termed IOmGruS bituberculatus. The :.
latter seems to be the correct name, for
the tubercles which suggested it are
obvious on the wing sheathS at the base
of tire body OF the creature. The latter
author however ascribeS cuckles to several
species, while those | have seep@I believe.
belong only to two speeiesVv perhaps
varieties. The second in a small beetle.
that has been rather common this season,
all the members a uniform size, and only
about one third or one fourth as large as
the common one. 1t however possesses
the same tubercular marks, though fainter
OH the wing sheathS; but this may perhaps
be a generic, not d specific character.
AS to their habits and where they live and
breed, | think their principal feeding and
breeding ground must be the pegass
savannah which lies q few miles within
the sea-bOard. In IA direct line inland
from Georgetown large areas OF pegass
are found, within as little distance az two.
or, three miles, and beyond this:itT extends
in vast indefinite areas. This land il sub
mergedin wet weather, bat much of It'll dry
in dry weather, audit seems to me that the
flights of beetles take place after periods
of drOaght, when water again first invades
the land. My reason for thinking this
land is their chief home il that, odd ones
are often found in turning over the SOIL,
and [ am told that in digging the extension
of the Lamaha. Canal they where turned
up rlentifully. Yet they evidently inhabit,
too, clay land, for though as a rule they
come into our houses bright. and polished,
without a. speck of anything on them,
occasionally one is snen bearing slight.or
abundant traces of yellow clay on the base
of7the body The water, sof the pegass
'land5 which the majority seem to,occ0py,
"a 80 Ss"- .E :