Ground Beetles. 



369 



of this moth spin an extensive web of silk on the trunk, under which several hundred 

 of them pass the day, marching out in procession in the evening to feed upon the 

 leaves of the tree. The grub of the beautiful searcher is an active creature, some- 

 thing like a lach'-bird grub, dark coloured and flat backed when not overfed. 

 This grub searches for the tents of the processionary caterpillars, and entering behaves 

 like a wolf in a sheep-fold. Caterpillar after caterpillar he attacks with his sharp 

 jaws, and gorges until his skin is inflated and tight. If several of the beetle-grubs 

 ha\-e got into the same tent there may come a time when all the caterpillars have 

 been consumed. Two searcher-grubs may be making a meal of the last caterpillar, 

 and \Nhen it is finished the larger 

 or stronger of the beetle-grubs 

 may finish by eating his brother. 

 One other species of these 

 ground-beetles must be men- 

 tioned, because it affords an 

 illustration of one way in which 

 man}' useful Insects are pro- 

 tected from more powerful 

 enemies. This is the little bom- 

 bardier-beetle, ^ quite a small 

 member of the family measuring- 

 only 10 mm., if we leave legs 

 and antennae out of the account. 

 Its head, fore-body, legs, and 

 antenna? are brick-red ; the 

 wing-covers, which only hide 

 two-thirds of the dusky hind- 

 body, are blue-black. It is 



under stones on 

 and seashores. 



definite appears 



as to its w^ays 

 living, except 



to attack other 

 Insects, like most of its family. 

 \\'ithout having had any ()])por- 

 t unity for observing it in its 

 haunts (it is a very local Insect), we venture the suggestion that it will be found 

 to feed principally upon snails. The suggestion is based entirely upon its build. 

 The hind-body is narrow and almost cvlindrical, the fore-body and head not more 

 than a third of the width of the hind-b()(l\ , and appear to be planned for their inser- 

 tion into snail-shells. I5ut the peculiarity that has made the bombardier famous 

 and given it both popular and scientific names, is its power of producing mimic 

 explosions accompanied by a smoke-like vapour of evil odour. !\Iost of the members 

 of the familv have glands at the tip of the hind-body from whicii when attacked 



1 Brachiniis crepitans. 



found lurking 

 river miargins 

 Nothing verv 

 to be known 

 of getting a 

 that it is said 



Photo by] [E. sup, F.L.S. 



]j1g-he.\ded Bkoscus. 



.•\ common ground-beetle of more robust build than the species of carabus. 

 Its less graceful appearance is due to the bre.idth of the head and fore-body. 

 Its colour is a uniform black, and it is represented four times the size of life. 



