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Show 1900.] FAUNA OF THE WHITE NILE. 971 9. MUTELA RUBENS Lamarck. Some small Mussels also found to the south of Abu Zeit are probably young specimens of this species. 10. MUTELA sp. inc. A very large Mussel, with beautiful iridescent pink inside, which we found at Fashoda and other places on the White Nile, does not entirely agree with any specimen in the British Museum collection, but is closely allied to Mutela petersi, Martens. Family ^ETHERIIDJS. 11. JETHERIA sp. inc. This shell, commonly spoken of as the " White Nile Oyster " (but not really an oyster), is probably AStheria lamarckii. It is excessively numerous, forming large beds along the river, especially about El Duem, Kowa, and Abu Zeit. These being left dry by the unusually low Nile were frequented by hundreds of birds. VIII. INSECTS. HEXAPODA. Owing to the loss of my killing-bottles &c. early in the expedition, only a very small collection of insects w7as brought back ; Sir George Hampson, Bt., has kindly identified the following Moths. Family PYRALID^E. GLYPHODES SERICEA Drury. Caught on Bahr-el-Ghazal in March. Family NOCTUID^E. SPHINGOMORPHA CHLOREA MONTEIRONIS Euth. Also caught on the Bahr-el-Ghazal in March. Of Beetles, the most remarkable owing to its numbers was a small species of Adoretus (family Butelidae), which on the Bahr-el- Ghazel, on the nights of tbe 1st and 2nd April, swarmed on board the steamer in incalculable thousands and was a great nuisance, crawling up our sleeves, down our necks, and into our food and beds. A remarkable "long-nosed bug " (Pgrops sp. inc.) was caught near Heliat Nuer on the 9th April, and a large Belostoma at Fashoda. Beautiful little Fireflies were a noticeable feature on many evenings on the Zeraf, Jebel, and Ghazal rivers, darting hither and thither over and through the reeds. But it was certain flies that most attracted our attention. Family TABANID^E. TABANUS DORSIVITTA Walker. The Seroot Fly. Colour. Eves rich dark brown. Back of thorax olive-brown, with four dark longitudinal lines. Abdomen : upper surface, centre |
