﻿50 BRITISH BEETLES. 



rusty-red fellow, Avith dull blue-black wing-cases, and a 

 narrow head and thorax (Plate I, Fig. 3) . It is abun- 

 dant on the south coast, especially under chalk, on the 

 banks of the Thames below Gravesend ; Avhere, in the 

 month of August, a dozen may be found under one 

 stone, the explosion of whose 'stern-chase' guns sounds 

 like a Lilliputian battery. The noise is caused by a 

 peculiar acid secreted by the insect, which, being emit- 

 ted from its lower extremity, volatilizes on coming into 

 contact with the atmosphere. On being irritated, the 

 Bombardiers will repeat their rear-volleys for some few 

 times, but with diminishing noise. 



The ScARiTiDES (represented in England by a few 

 small species) may be distinguished by their elongate, 

 cylindrical shape ; the separation of their thorax from 

 the elytra by a neck; the enlargement and palmation of 

 their front tibiaj, which are toothed on the outer edge ; 

 the non-dilatation of the basal joints of the front tarsi 

 in the male ; and the shortness, and comparatively bead- 

 like joints, of their antennae. We possess only two 

 genera of this family ; one, CUv'nia (Plate I, Fig. 4, C. 

 collaris), the species of which frequent garden refuse; 

 and the other, Dyschirius, consisting of minute, brassy, 

 cylindrical, sand-burrowing beetles. None of these are 

 either conspicuous, likely to be casually observed, or 

 peculiar iu habits ; except, perhaps, that some of them 

 live in large colonies on the seashore, and appear to 

 be often found with Bledius (a genus of Brachehjtra), 

 upon small species of which they are supposed to prey. 

 An exhaustive monograph has been written by Mons. 

 J. Putzeys (Mon. des Clivina, etc., 18 16) upon these 

 insects. 



The Carabides are known by their anterior tibiae not 



