GROUND BEETLE. 



83 



thing of the nature of a Beetle, to be able, merely by 

 a glance at its feet through a hand-magnifier, to know 

 generally to which division it belongs. Amongst the 

 thousands of British Beetles, there are many so very 

 like in appearance, yet different in habits, that some- 

 times it saves much trouble, thus by a little examina- 

 tion to know whether what we have caught is a de- 

 stroyer of croj) pests or crops in the field, or of stored 

 crops in our granaries. 



llic Gcodephaga, or Ground Beetles, which belong to 

 the first section of the Beetles, are, in great part, carni- 

 vorous. These Beetles may be 

 known, in a general way, by their 

 long slender legs and horns, their 

 strong jaws, and their great activity 

 in running. 



The grubs of these " Ground Bee- 

 tles " are usually flat, long, and 

 straight-sided; the head, and next 

 segment to it, hard (see figure, p. 17). 

 They have, for the most jjart, strong 

 Jaws, three pairs of horny legs; and 

 at the tip of the tail there is usually 

 a sucker-foot below, and two horny 

 or fleshy appendages above. 



For a long time these " Ground 

 Beetles " were supposed to live almost entirely on 

 animal food, and therefore to help very much in keep- 

 ing other insects in check ; but now it is found that 

 various kinds injure growing grain, seeds of grass, and 

 other vegetables. 



In the United States it has been found, by watching 

 the habits and examining the contents of different kinds 

 of Harpalus, that these feed on rootlets, seeds, and 

 other parts of grass or corn, besides other matters 

 animal and vegetable. In Prof. Forbes' experiments 

 it was found that of twenty-eight specimens of Cara- 

 bidce examined, twenty specimens, and these belonging 

 to eleven species, had eaten vegetable food. 



Fig. 66. — A Ground 

 Beetle (Carabus (jra- 

 nulatus). 



