THE BRITISH GEODEPHAGA. 19 



The genus Di'omius^ or runners (Fig. 22), is an example of the 

 next sub-family, their principal pecuharities being the abbreviated 

 elytra, like Brachinus^ and their very flat form. This fits them 

 to live under the bark of various trees, their thinness enabling 

 them to insinuate themselves into very small spaces in pursuit of 

 the sub-cutaneous larvae on which fhey subsist. 



The next sub-family, the Harpalides^ is very vast, and com- 

 prises a great many dissimilar forms ; but Anisodactylus binotatiis 

 (Fig. 23) is a very good general example. It is of a more robust 

 form than any we have previously noticed. The genus Harpalus^ 

 containing thirty species, are all of this character ; so also is the 

 genus Amara^ containing twenty-six species, all bright, shining 

 little beetles, commonly called " sunshiners," on account of their 

 running about on pathways with great activity in the brightest 

 sunshine. They are very difficult to determine, being so much 

 alike. It is worthy of notice that those beetles which are active 

 by day are usually bright and shining, bronze, green, or blue; 

 whereas those that prowl about by night, and during the day hide 

 under stones and such-like places are generally black and dull. 

 The modern genus, Fterostichus, contains twenty-two species, some 

 of which are very common, and is interesting on account of its 

 being originally divided into eight distinct genera ; now, however, 

 they are all put together. This grouping doubtless has its advan- 

 tages, but it certainly brings together very dissimilar forms. 



A small beetle, Stomis pu7?iicatus^ which belongs to this sub- 

 family, has rather singular mouth-organs, having the mandibles 

 much elongated, the right one being notched and very much 

 hooked at the tip, whilst the left is much straighter and without 

 any notch (Fig. 24). They are both curved downwards, like the 

 blades of scissors used for clipping horses. There are a great 

 many more interesting forms, but we will pass on to the last sub- 

 family, the Bembidiides. These are all small beetles, the largest 

 being about one quarter of an inch in length, whereas one, Tachys 

 bistriatus, is only one sixteenth of an inch long, and is the small- 

 est of the British Geodephaga. They may all be known at a 

 glance by the palpi, the penultimate joint being very large, and 

 the last joint small, looking very much like a shoemaker's awl 

 stuck in its handle (see Fig. 25). 



