INHABITING NORTH AMERICA. 7 



DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES. 



ORDER AND SECTION.— COLEOPTERA PENTAMERAp 



Tribe I. Entomophaoa, — Famihi II. Carabici. 



Genus Brachinus. Web. Fabr. 



Anterior tibia emarginatc ; elytra truncated at tip ; palpi fili- 

 form ; labium subquadrate ; neck none ; abdomen with 

 interior vesicles inclosing a caustic, volatile, and detonating 

 fluid; nails simple. 



Species. 



B.fumans, ferrugineous ; elytra blue-black; venter, testa- 

 ceous-black. 



Brachinus fumans, ferruginous ; elytra blackish azure. Fabr. Syst. Elttil. 

 p. 219. 



Body ferrugineous, with numerous minute hairs. 



Head front longitudinally impressed ; each side near the base 



of the antennae. 

 Thoi'ax with a longitudinal impressed line from the head to 



the scutel. 

 Scutel minute, blackish brown. 

 Elytra blackish-azure ; al)out seven slightly impressed, very 



obtuse grooves, more distinct near tlic suture, .ind obsolete 



at the outer margin ; separating lines rounded. 

 Venter dark reddisli brown. 

 Length eleven-twentieths of an inch. 



Ratiier common under stones, ^c. in various parts of North 

 America. In common witii tiie other species of tlie genus, 

 it discharges from the posterior extremity of the l)ody, when 

 alarmed or irritated, a caustic fluid ; this is remarkable by an 



