THE CARABIj OR GROUND BEETLES. 69 



the hottest sun, aud take wing with nearly equal 

 facility. Many of these lovely little creatures may be 

 found in profusion running about upon the mud at 

 the margins of ponds when these begin to dry up in 

 summer, whilst others, such as the species of the 

 genera Amara and Poecilus, are so abundant on our 

 garden walks that they are well known, even to 

 children, under the name of Sunshiners. Most of 

 the more brilliant species in fact appear to be more 

 or less diurnal in their activity, whilst those which 

 exhibit black or dark colours select the congenial 

 obscurity of night for their prowlings. 



The larvae of most of the species are of a roving 

 disposition, and wander about like the perfect insects 

 under cloud of night in pursuit of their prey. Their 

 whole upper surface is covered with a horny skin, 

 which is harder upon the head and prothorax; the 

 head is armed with a pair of formidable jaws, and the 

 legs are well formed and stout. They are excessively 

 gluttonous, and destroy great quantities of cater- 

 pillars, and the larvae of other herbivorous insects, 

 which indeed constitute the principal food of most 

 of the predaceous Beetles, both in their larva and 

 perfect states, although in this respect they are by no 

 means particular, but will feed without the slightest 

 remorse even upon individuals of their own species. 



The largest of the common British Beetles of this 

 group are the species of the genus Carabus, several of 

 which are an inch or more in length. I shall only 

 refer to two of the most abundant and generally 

 distributed of these, — the Carabus hortensis, which is 

 exceedingly common in gardens, and the C. violaceus, 

 which inhabits the open country in almost equal pro- 

 fusion. Both these Beetles are full an inch in length, 



