The Ilarpalus Beelle 219 



beetles do not liy and some of them have no wings, 

 and they can be trampled to death as they are 

 running along the grass in search of canker worms. 

 These beetles are of a dull metallic color and 

 have a habit of prowling through the grass or hiding 

 under sticks and stones. After dark they go hunt- 

 ing game. The fierce Calisoma (Fig. 199) will 

 even attack the big June bug and rip open its sides. 

 The June bug is a helpless brown beetle, but so 

 big that one would not expect the other beetle to 

 attack it. 



THE HARPALUS BEETLE 



There is an interesting little Harpalus beetle 

 with a small head, a heart-shaped waist with a 

 wide hoop-skirt effect (Fig. 200). Of course, the 

 heart-shaped part is not the body, it is what is 

 called the pro-thorax, but nevertheless it 

 looks as if it might correspond with the bust 

 and waist of a woman and the lower part 

 represents her skirts. The little beetles are '^^^ 

 dressed in yellowish-red waists and blue or green 

 tinged skirts — in other words, wing covers. These 

 funny little beetles are known as Bombardiers, from 

 the habit tliey have of discharging a pungent fluid 

 with a report like a teeny, weeny gun. The shoot- 



