28 A. COTTAM — OTJE BEITTSH BEETLES: 



upon during their nocturnal explorations in search of food, are 

 among the largest and most elegant of our ground-beetles. I have 

 taken several specimens of the three common species ( C. violaceus, 

 nemoralis, and monilis) in the cellar of my house. Most of the Carahi, 

 and many others among the night-feeders, have no wings, and the 

 elytra are soldered together. 



One large and very handsome species of this genus ( Caralus 

 auratus) is very common on the Continent in vegetable-gardens, 

 and is there called the "Jardiniere." There appears to be no 

 reason whj it should not live in England, but it is doubtful 

 whether it ever breeds here. Mr. Kye has a specimen found alive 

 in a bunch of radishes which were stated to have been gathered in 

 a garden at New Cross. Three were recently found in the 

 Borough Market, and last summer one was found in Watford in a 

 bunch of radishes which were stated to have come from France. 

 Mr. Jonathan Chater had this specimen alive, and he very kindly 

 gave it to me. The bombadier beetle {Brachinus crepitans), of which 

 I have taken several specimens in this neighbourhood, has acquired 

 its English name from its power of emitting an acid secretion with 

 a slight explosion. This secretion, which is exceedingly volatile, 

 is converted into vapour the moment it comes into contact with the 

 air, and under cover of this little cloud of smoke the insect escapes, 

 or endeavours to do so. 



Many of the ground-beetles are very small, and the species of 

 this section are exceedingly puzzling, requiring careful examina- 

 tion and comparison of the variovis portions of the mouth. 



AVe have about 300 species of ground-beetles inhabiting Great 

 Britain. 



In this section the tarsi are all five-jointed, and in the males the 

 basal joints of the front tarsi are nearly always widened. The 

 antennae are long and slender. 



^o 



\h. The Hydeadephaga. 



Our carnivorous water-beetles number about 120 species. In 

 most of these the antennae are tolerably long and exceedingly 

 delicate ; the hind legs are adapted for swimming ; and in some of 

 the Dytiscidae the males have the lower joints of the tarsi of the 

 anterior legs formed into broad suckers, with which they can hold 

 their prey securely. 



The large water-beetles often put into aquaria are species of the 

 genus Bytiscus. They should, however, be kept in an aquarium 

 by themselves, as they devour all other aquatic creatures that may 

 be Avith them. 



Most of the water-beetles have ample wings, and at night make 

 free use of them, fiying from one piece of water to another. If in 

 a room they will often fly at the lamp-globes, and they have been 

 known to alight on greenhouses, no doubt mistaking the light re- 

 flected from the glass for water. 



The Gyrindae, commonly called "whirlwig" or "whirligig" 



