342 



American bombardiers are fully equal, in this respect, to foreign species. 

 The Carabidas were employed by ancient physicians as internal remedies in 

 various diseases; their acrid qualities might render them useful as external 

 irritants, or as substitutes for blistering flies. 



But few of the larvas are known. Their habits are predaceous; they are 

 serviceable in destroying smaller insects and caterpillars, and do not attack 

 or injure vegetation. They dwell in the ground, but some of the larger 

 kinds have been found on trees, inhabiting the nests of caterpillars, and 

 committing great havoc among them. The redoubtable enemy of the cut- 

 worm appears to be one of the fiimily. 



The general shape of the larva is long, linear, flattened above, with 

 strong curved jaws, six legs near the head, a distinct thoracic shield, and an 

 anal proleg. They are blackish in color, and active in motion. 



GENUS BRACHINUS. 



B. *medius. Testaceous, elytra, dull reddish purple, obsoletely and 

 broadly striated, antennas fuscous. 



Length five twentieths of an inch. 



Body pale ferruginous or testaceous, with very short, decumbent, pale, 

 ochreous hairs. Head Avith rugose impressions near the antennae. Two 

 first joints and base of the third joint of the antenna? testaceous, remaining 

 ones fuscous. Anterior angles of the thorax obtusely rounded, disc very, 

 convex, Avith deep medial and submarginal impressed lines. Elytra some- 

 what polished, reddish purple, with six or seven obsolete and shallow striaa. 

 Feet ferruginous, body beneath darker. It is found beneath stones, and is 

 sufficiently distinct from others by the regularly curved anterior angles of 

 the thorax. 



B. *minulus. Thorax dark ferruginous, oblong-cordate, elytra blackish 

 purple, autcmiie and ventral segments fuscous. 



Length one iifth of an inch. 



Head, thorax, and feet dark f('rrugino;is, almost castaneous. Antenna3 

 fuscous, except the two basal joints Avhich are ferruginous. Head with two 

 longitudinal indentations between the eyes. Thorax oblong-cordate, ante- 

 rior angles subacute, disc very convex, middle longituiliually impressed. 

 Elytra blackish purple, with a greenish tinge, obsoletely striate the alternate 

 interstitial lines more elevated than the intermediate ones. Body beneath 

 castaneous-brown, ventral segments fuscous. 



Inhabits beneath stones, but is rare. The shape of the thorax approaches 

 to that of the crepilans. Our most common species is tho fumans^ F., which 

 somewhat resembles the above in colors, but is over half an inch ions:. 



