GROUND BEETLES. 1s 
two horny or fleshy appendages on its upper surface, the lower part 
being lengthened into a membranous supplemental leg. The pupa is 
generally (if not always) formed in a cell underground, and is rarely 
met with.”—(H. C. R.) 
Some of this section, however, have been found during the last few 
years to be also vegetable feeders to an injurious extent, and in the 
case of the two kinds mentioned at p. 111, anyone who wishes to see 
for himself that they are both Strawberry and animal feeders may 
satisfy himself by keeping some specimens without food until they are 
hungry, and then introducing food into their cage. 
In my own experiments I found that on dropping a few worms 
among the hungry beetles that one of the Pterostichi seized a little 
worm for its own special prey, setting its legs firmly so that it could 
drag the creature along, whilst most of the rest of the beetles made a 
simultaneous attack on an earthworm which was about four or five 
inches long, and settling themselves in little parties with their heads 
opposite to each other, pulled with their strong jaws until they soon 
tore through the skin. They also eat uncooked as well as cooked 
meat and cooked fish. 
I found that both kinds preyed greedily on Strawberries, and a 
party of the Harpalus ruficornis lived for seventeen days on nothing 
but Strawberry fruit without, so far as I could see, suffering in any 
way from this diet; but neither of the two kinds of beetle would 
apparently even taste any of the other kinds of fruit which I placed in 
their jar.* 
The damage caused to the Strawberry crop is by attack of the 
beetles both to the green and ripening, and also the ripe, fruit. With 
the green fruit they will even clear the skin; and with the ripe fruit 
they are particularly partial to attacking the seeds, and likewise gnaw 
large or small holes, as the case may be, in the substance of the fruit 
(see figure, p. 111), so that the fruit in all probability turns moist and 
rots, but certainly is quite ruined for purposes of sale. 
The first information sent me regarding observation of Strawberry 
‘‘Ground Beetles” in the course of last year was given me by Mrs. 
Broadwood, of Bone Hill, St. Albans, a friend and neighbour, who, 
on June 14th, brought me over a number of specimens, which, on 
examination, proved to be Harpalus ruficornis. These were part of 
such a very numerous appearance that it was described as a swarm, of 
which so many fell at 10 p.m. on the previous evening on members of 
the family sitting in front of the house, that it was supposed the 
beetles were tumbling from the roof. A search was going to be set 
on foot as to possible lurking-places, but the weather turned colder, 
* For minute details of experiments, see paper on ‘“ Strawberry Ground 
Beetles’ in my ‘ Nineteenth Annual Report.’—E. A. O. 
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