GEODEPHA G'A— continued.

We now come to the important family of the Carahidce, to which belong some of the largest and most powerful of the G-eodephaga. The Carabidse are in many points exactly like the Cicindelidse, and if isolated parts of the mouth were taken V to an entomologist, he would have some difficulty in knowing to which family they belonged. But, whereas the Cicindelidse have a notch on the inner side of the front tibise, these limbs are without the notch in the Carabidse.

The typical genus is well represented in this country, and its members are familiar to us by the title of Ground Beetles or Garden Beetles. They are the largest of the family, some of them being an inch in length, and strongly though elegantly shaped. They are very active, as far as their legs go, but they have no wings, these members being only found in a rudimentary state under the hard and shining elytra, which in most of the species are soldered together and cannot be opened. In one species, however, Carabus granulatus, the elytra are capable of motion, and the wings are more developed than is generally the case. They are, however, much too small to be used for flight. The mandibles have a small tooth in the middle, and the labial palpi have the last joint securiform, or axe-shaped. The thorax is somewhat heart-shaped, and has the posterior angles boldly marked. In the male the tarsi of the first pair of legs are broader than in the female.

Thirteen British species of Carabus are known, one of which is represented on Plate I. Fig. b, in the act of chasing the Brachinus. It is the Carabus monilis, a common and very handsome insect. It is exceedingly variable in colour, and slightly so in marking, but may be described as follows: — The head is black, with bronze or gi-een reflections, wrinkled in front.

and there is a deep hollow on each side just between the antennjB. The thorax is wrinkled at the hinder angles and deeply notched behind, and its colour is deep copper. The elytra are metallic green or violet, and sometimes entirely green. Each elytron is marked with three rows of raised striae, broken regularly at intervals, or ‘interrupted,’ to use the scientific term, and between them are three ridges which are not broken. The line along the suture is black, and the under side of the insect is dull black.

This Beetle is common in gardens, and, like the rest of its kin, ought to be encouraged and protected, as it feeds almost entirely on the smaller insects, and never meddles with the vegetables. One of the species, Garabus auratus, which is plentiful in France, though very scarce in this country, is most useful to the farmer, as it watches for the female cockchafers as they descend to deposit their eggs in the ground, and then kills and eats them, thus doing more good than if it fed on the destructive grub itself.

It can be found in the daytime by lifting stones, flower-pots, logs of wood, dead leaves, or similar objects that have been lying in one place for some little time. Care must be taken in handling it, as all the Carabi have an unpleasant habit of pouring from their mouths a blackish fliiid which stains the fingers, and is of a very disagreeable character. It is said that the insect can project this fluid to some distance ; but I have never seen this done, though I have caught great numbers of Carabi, and given them every provocation to make use of this weapon, which is analogous to the explosion of the Brachinus.

All the Carabidae are beautiful insects, and it is difficult to select any one that is pre-eminent beyond its fellows. Personally, I think that Garabus cancellatus carries off the palm, though it is not so large as several of its congeners. Its shape is peculiarly elegant, and its colour is greenish brass, or coppery, sometimes deepening into black. On each of the elytra are three chain-like marks composed of oblong tubercles placed end to end, and between each of them is a single bold ridge. These marks are similar in character to those of the preceding insect, but they are very much larger and bolder, and can easily be distinguislied without tlie aid of a lens. There are the rudiments of wings to be seen under the elytra. In

Plate Ii. Ground Beetles.

Lebia crux-minor. 2. Oalosoma inquisitor. 8. Oarabus intricatus. 4. Cycbrus rostratus. 5. Oalosoma, larva in nest of Social caterpillar. 6. Oarabus, larva. Plants : — Trunk and branch of Oak {Quercus Rohur). Above. Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa). Across Centre. Cowslip (Primula veris). In Middle.

the spring time this insect may be taken in decaying willowtrees.

Another species of this genus, Garahus intricatus, may be seen on Plate II. Fig. 2, where it is represented as ascending the trunk of an oak-tree in search of prey. If any of my readers should happen to see the insect itself, he will be the envy of all brother entomologists, inasmuch as it is not only a singularly handsome but a very scarce insect. It is the largest British Carabus yet known, and is finely marked and coloured. Tlie head is black, with a violet gloss, and has a deep impression on either side. The thorax is of the deepest violet or green, becoming black on the margin, and is wrinkled over its entire sm-face. The elytra are very deep and shining- violet, and on each elytron there are three rows of elevated tubercles of an oKve-green, the remainder of the surface being wrinkled. The under surface of the body is black, glossed with violet.

At big. 6, in the left-hand lower corner of the same plate, is seen the larva of a Carabus. These larvae are, bke the perfect insects, carnivorous. They are armed with powerful jaws, having a strong tooth near the base. The antennae and maxillary palpi have each four joints, and there are six ocelli, or simple eyes, on each side. At the end of the tail are two homy spines, each armed with a sort of spur.

The last species which will be described is the Carabus violaceus, one of the commonest and largest of the species. It sometimes exceeds an inch in length. Its colour is rather remarkable. At first sight it appears to be a black insect, but a more careful examination shows that the supposed black is in reality the deepest violet, which on the margins of the elytra and thorax becomes of a rich burnished golden-violet like as of polished metal. The whole of the upper surface is granulated, the elytra more deeply than the thorax, alono- the centre of which there is a slightly elevated line. Below,'it is black, are thirteen with a British slight green or blue reflection. Carabi. Altogether ’there

These Beetles afford good practice in setting. Thev are large enough to bear handling, and yet small enough to reouire care. Their legs are long, and look well when set out,’ and he parts of the mouth are suffloiently large to show whether the operator has been careful about his work. Their only

drawback is the lack of wings, but it is more than compensated by the other advantages. These Beetles, by tlie way, are very tenacious of life, and, though they can be at least rendered insensible and liarmless by the laurel-bottle, it will be as well to dip them into boiling water before passing the pin through > them, so as to avoid the sight of an impaled Beetle trying to i release itself, or walking about the cabinet drawer with a pin through its body.

I have always had a great liking for these Beetles, from the time when I was accustomed to harness them into fairy chariots, to that in which I first learned from them the wonders of an insect’s organisation, and traced in them the early rudiments of those structm-es which find their fullest development in man.

Next on our list comes the genus Notiophilus, which, being translated, signifies wet-lover, and is a very appropriate title. All these Beetles are very small, none of them exceeding a quarter of an inch in length. They may be found on the banks of ponds and streams, running over the wet soil with great activity in search of prey. In consequence of their fondness for water they were for a long time classed among the Hydradephaga, or the voracious Beetles of the water, but have now been placed in their right position among the Carabidas.

On Woodcut No. II. Fig. 5, is a magnified figure of a common species of this genus, called Notiophilus higuttatus. It is a very small Beetle, sometimes only one-sixth of an inch in length, and seldom, if ever, exceeding a quarter of an inch. It is a pretty little creature, with a highly polished surface, as if made of bronze in which the copper predominated. Five species of this genus are known to inhabit England, and they may be found hidden under stones or at the roots of trees in damp places. Willow-trees on the borders of streams are good localities for these pretty little Beetles. They do not, however, confine themselves to wet places, although they prefer such places as a residence. They may be seen running about in the hottest weather over places a mile at least from water.

The maxillary palpi of this genus have the last joint rather egg-shaped, and sharply cut off at the end, as may be seen by reference to Woodcut II. Fig. e, which represents the left labial

palpus of this insect. The antennae are slender, and rather i thicker at the tip than at the base. The head has a deep furrow between the eyes, and the elytra are long and flattened.

Another genus now comes before us, our example of which is Nehria brevicoUis, a figure of which is given on Woodcut III. Fig. 1. These are larger insects than those of the preceding

*Calathi«^^ terricola. 4. Sphodrus c. irogonus, labial palpi. d. Pogonus, maxillary palpus. puns, their length exceeding half an inch, and sometimes reaching three-quarters of an inch. In these insects the antennae are ong and slender, and the mentum is divided into three distinct 0 es, le central lobe being cleft, as it were, into two. The Z abruptly cut off both in front and v!l 1 straight. The wings are well deeloped. Most of these Beetles belong to the maritime insects.

The present species is called by the name brevicollis, in consequence of its short neck. The head, thorax, and elytra are black, and the antennse, palpi, tibiae, and tarsi are dull, pitchyred. The elytra have their sui’face marked with bold striae, which are thickly punctured, and have several large pits on the third stria from the suture. Although plentiful enough when insect-hunters know where to look for them, the Nebrias are not often found, owing to their habit of concealing them- ' selves in the crevices of sea-side rocks, so that it is necessaiy to break open the rocks in order to dislodge the Beetles. The digger mentioned on page 25 will be found very useful for this ' purpose. The Beetles prefer the sandstone rocks to the chalk cliffs for their residence- The length of this species is one-third of an inch. The peculiarly-formed labial palpi of this genus ; can be seen by reference to Woodcut No. II. Fig. a, and the | maxillary palpi at Fig. b. Four species of Nebria are known to inhabit England.

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