﻿46 BRITISH BEETLES. 



the perfect insects, and are equally carnivorous and 

 active. A singular exception is nevertheless afforded 

 by Zabrus jAyer, the larvae of which have been stated 

 to feed during the night upon young shoots of wheat, 

 burying themselves by day. It is, however, somewhat 

 doubtful whether their normal food may not be the 

 grubs of a species of Cockchafer found at the roots of 

 the wheat. 



A Geodephagous larva is usually flat, elongate, pa- 

 rallel-sided, fleshy, with the head and first segment hard ; 

 the eyes are rudimentary, usually being compounded 

 of six small ocelli grouped together ; the legs are horny, 

 six in number, and situated on the first three segments ; 

 there are short jointed antennae and palpi, and powerful 

 sickle-shaped jaws, and the apex of the body has usually 

 two horny or fleshy appendages on its upper surface, the 

 lower part being lengthened into a membranous supple- 

 mental leg. 



The pupa is generally (if not always) formed in a cell 

 imderground, and is rarely met with. 



The Geodephaga are divided into two families, the 

 Cicindelidce and Carabidce ; the former being represented 

 by one English genus, and the latter separated into eight 

 sub-families, to be noticed hereafter. 



1. The CICINDELIDyE (commonly called "Tiger- 

 beetles," on account of their rapacity) are distinguished, 

 among other characters, by having their maxillae ending 

 in a small moveable hook, the ligula very short, hidden 

 beneath the mentum, with the labial palpi free, and the 

 front tibiae not notched on the inner side. The sole 

 English genus, Cicindela, may be known by its strongly 

 arched and pointed jaws, prominent eyes, and very 

 slender legs and antennae. All our species are mode- 



