36 INSECTS AT HOME. 



The present species is called by the name brevicollia, in con- 

 sequence of its short neck. The head, thorax, and elytra are 

 black, and the antennae, palpi, tibiae, and tarsi a,re dull, pitchy- 

 red. The elytra have their surface marked with bold striae, 

 which are thickly punctured, and have several large pits on 

 the third stria from the suture. Although plentiful enough 

 when insect-htmters know where to look for them, the Nebrias 

 are not often found, owing to their habit of concealing them- 

 selves in the crevices of sea-side rocks, so that it is necessary 

 to break open the rocks in order to dislodge the Beetles. The 

 digger mentioned on page 25 will be found very useful for this 

 purpose. The Beetles prefer the sandstone rocks to the clialk 

 cliffs for their residence. The length of this species is one-third 

 of an inch. The peculiarly-formed labial palpi of this genus 

 can be seen by reference to Woodcut No. II. Fig. a, and the 

 maxillary palpi at Fig. b. Four species of Nebria are known 

 to inhabit England. 



If the reader will refer to Plate II. Fig. 2, he will see repre- 

 sented an episode in insect life which is not common in Eng- 

 land, where the insect is scarce, though sufficiently so on the 

 Continent, where it is plentiful. It seems very strange that 

 so narrow a strip of sea should separate so many insects from 

 us, especially as vessels are continually passing backwards and 

 forwards. It is a fact, however, that many of our very rarest 

 insects are quite common on the opjDosite coasts of France, 

 where they live under exactly similar conditions as those of our 

 own island. I cannot but think that, in cases where the insect 

 is, as in the present instance, an extremely useful one, any 

 entomologist would be doing a patriotic act by bringing over 

 a number of them and turning them out to get their living in 

 England. 



There is no difficulty in distinguishing the genus Calosoma 

 from Carabus. The body and thorax are much more globose 

 and rounded, the third joint of the antennae is flattened, and 

 well-developed wings are seen beneath the elytra. 



This handsome Beetle, called scientifically Calosoma syco- 

 phanta, ranks among our rarest British insects, but absolutely 

 swarms in many parts of the Continent, being so plentiful in 

 fir-woods, that if an entomologist go out at njght, after the 



