COLEOPTERA. TEf.EPHOrilD^. 257 



reside in moist earth, and are carnivorous in their Jiabits, feeding oc- 

 casionally, according to De Geer, upon their own species as well as 

 upon earth worms. I have repeatedly found them creeping about 

 footpaths, in moss, &c., in the winter and spring months. Mr. G. R. 

 Waterhouse has given a very correct figure of the larva of Tel. rufus, 

 with the details of the mouth, &c. {Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., No. 1. 

 pi. 3. f. 3.) : the second joint of the antennae is remarkable for emit- 

 ting two conical processes, the larger of which represents the terminal 

 joint, and the smaller an additional spine {Jig. 27. 19.). This larva 

 agrees with that figured by De Geer. Like the Drilus, these insects 

 pass the winter in the full grown larva state, changing to pupae in 

 April and May without previously forming any cocoon. The pupa 

 presents no peculiar feature, except two small points at the extremity 

 of the body. The perfect insect appears in two or three weeks. 

 M. E. Blanchard has also figured the larvae and pupae of Telephorus 

 fuscus and T. lividus, which closely resemble each other and T. rufus 

 in structure (Giierin, Mag. Zool. pi. 168.). 



In certain seasons, the snow in Sweden and in the mountainous 

 districts of France has been observed by De Geer and others to be 

 covered for a considerable extent with an immense number of the 

 larvae of these insects, together with a multitude of other living 

 insects, and which have been supposed to have fallen with the snow, 

 or been deposited in such situations by gusts of wind after violent 

 tempests which have defoliated the firs and pine-treeso The larvae, 

 thus found, are supposed by Latreille to belong to species which would 

 make their appearance in the perfect state at an early period of the 

 year. M. E. Blanchard has, however, suggested that they had pre- 

 viously resided in the ground covered at the time by snow, through 

 which they had crept lor the purpose of obtaining a fresh supply 

 of air. (See also Bulletin des Sciences Naturelles, August, 1829.) 

 Dr. Hammerschmidt of Vienna read an account of the larva of Mal- 

 thinus biguttatus at the Breslaw meeting of German naturalists ; but I 

 believe the description has not yet been published. 



There are upwards of fifty British species of this family, none of 

 which exceed three quarters of an inch in length : their colours are 

 generally dull. 



The genus Malthinus comprises the smallest species in the family, 

 seldom exceeding one-sixth of an inch in length, and having the elytra 

 generally tipped with yellow. 



s 



