GROUND-BEETLES. 17 



come to the entrance of the pit, not to listen to the sweet sounds 

 produced by the inquisitive boy, but to capture the imaginary in- 

 truder. The pupa is also found in such burrows ; it is of the 

 usual form, foreshadowing- the future insect. 



Tiger-beetles, and especially their larvae, are sometimes very 

 beneficial to owners of fruit-producing plants. The writer has 

 in one instance counted nearly a hundred such burrows in the 

 vicinity of a single large and isolated apple-tree, and many fat 

 caterpillars were devoured by the always hungry trap-dwellers. 

 Of course much of the food consumed consists of insects habitu- 

 ally running over the ground. 



FAMILY GROUND-BEETLES. 



( Carabidae) . 



This popidar name is in the majority of cases a good one, as 

 most of the beetles belonging to this family are found upon the 

 surface of the ground in their adult stage. It is a large family, 

 containing, in the United States, about 1,200 species. Yet, not- 

 withstanding this large number, they are not seen as often as 

 might be expected, simply because the great majority of them are 

 nocturnal in their habits. This accounts for their dark color. 

 Others, however, are very brightly colored, some are metallic, 

 some blue, green, or almost white, the color depending on the 

 general color of the surroundings. By this is not meant that the 

 insects have the power of changing their color, like a tree-toad, 

 but that they are only found in such, places as blend with their 

 colors. 



Some of these predacious beetles may occasionally be seen 

 running over the ground in gardens, orchards, and in fields, or 

 they may be seen even in the trees themselves, searching for food. 

 But most of them hide during the day under stones, boards, or 

 dead leaves, and they do not leave these shelters until night. Like 

 the tiger-beetles, the ground-beetles possess thread-like feelers, 

 which taper gradually towards the tip, and are composed of 



