40 INSECTS AT HOME. 



to the naked eye, and the edges are bright blue-green, like 

 those of the thorax. There are three rows of impressions on 

 the elytra, similar to those upon the preceding species, but not 

 80 shining. The under surface of this handsome insect is dull 

 blue-green, and the legs and antennae are black. 



Next in order comes the plainly-coloured, but elegantly- 

 shaped insect called Cychrus rostratus, the o;ily British ex- 

 ample of the genus, a figure of which is given on Plate II. 

 Fig. 4. 



The members of this genus can easily be distinguished by 

 the long and slender head and thorax, by the very large elytra, 

 which lap over the abdomen on either side, and by the pro- 

 jecting mandibles. The last-mentioned peculiarity has earned 

 for the insect the specific title of rostrahis, or ' beaked,' and, 

 indeed, the mandibles, head, and thorax are so prolonged, that 

 the insect might easily be mistaken for one of the larger 

 weevils. 



To the unassisted eye' this is a very dull-coloured insect, 

 appearing to be uniform black-brown ; but when viewed 

 through a magnifying glass, the surface of the thorax is seen 

 to be thickly wrinkled and punctured, and that of the elytra 

 finely granulated, so tliat a soft and satiny gloss is imparted to 

 the otherwise unattractive surface. Its length is, on an average, 

 rather naore than tliree-quarters of an inch. 



It is not reckoned among our common insects, probably on 

 account of its habit of concealing itself in dark places, in w^hich 

 it may easily escape observation in consequence of its sombre 

 colouring. It is to be found under heaps of leaves, stones, or 

 wood-piles, such as are left by the fagot-makers. I have 

 taken it in Wiltshire and about Oxford. This is one of the 

 very few Coleoptera which can produce any sound, and the 

 squeaking noise which is heard when the Beetle is handled, is 

 thought to be produced by the friction of the elytra against 

 the tip of the abdomen. The beautiful Musk Beetle produces 

 a similar sound, which will be described when we come to that 

 insect. 



The larva of the Cychrus is something like that of Carabus, 

 but shorter and broader, and the projecting spines at tlie end 

 of the body are very short and without spurs. The pa]j)i of 



