24. SHORE-BUGS. 
a majority of them inhabit damp soils, and are often found in 
countless numbers on the salt or brackish marshes of our sea 
coasts. Their manner strongly recalls that of the tiger-beetles 
that inhabit the same places. When approached, or in any way 
disturbed, they leap from the ground, arise a few feet into the 
air, by means of their wings, and alight a short distance away, 
taking care to slip quickly into the shade of some protecting tuft 
of grass or clod, where the soil agrees with the color of their 
bodies.” 
The insects are small, soft, dark, with white or yellow mark- 
ings; some are intensely black, polished. The head is free from 
G. 17.—Salda signoretii Stal. After Fic. 18.—Salda (coriacea Uhler) species. 
Thier. Original. 
the thorax, the feelers are four-jointed; the beak is very long, 
reaching to or beyond the middle coxe, and is three-jointed ; 
there are two ocelli on the crown of the head, placed close to- 
gether like twin gems. The legs are long, with long spines. 
Some forms are very broadly oval, but the majority are long 
oval, with very prominent eyes. 
The insects feed upon drowned flies and other insects, from 
which they suck the blood. In this manner they are to some 
extent scavengers. 
Two forms have been illustrated to show the great difference 
in general appearance and coloration. Fig. 17 shows Salda 
signoretii Guer. and Fig. 18 an underscribed species. 
