228 NATURAL HISTORY OP 



conspicuous in the tribe of CANTHARID^E, or blis- 

 tering beetles, many of which are so much cele- 

 brated for their vesicatpry properties. The group 

 is well distinguished by the hooks of the tarsi, which 

 are so deeply divided that they appear double. The 

 present genus is destitute of wings, and the elytra 

 are of an oval or triangular form, the one overlap- 

 ping the other at the base, and they diverge widely 

 from each other at the tip. They leave a consider- 

 able portion of the abdomen uncovered, especially 

 in the female, which has that part of the body 

 unusually large. The most singular circumstance 

 in the natural history of these insects, is the sup- 

 posed parasitical nature of the larvae, which are said 

 to adhere to the bodies of flies and bees, and to live 

 upon their juices, which they extract by suction. But 

 the observations on which this opinion is founded 

 are far too inconclusive to establish its truth. They 

 are characteristic of European countries, the greater 

 number occurring in Spain and Britain. Among the 

 latter is the species figured, which is of a brassy 

 lustre, variegated with tints of purple and violet. 

 The thorax and elytra are dark copper colour, 

 glossed on the sides with violet ; the former covered 

 with punctures, and the latter with small tubercles 

 which often run together and make the surface 

 rough. The abdomen is likewise rough ; the co- 

 lour dark green, with the hinder margin of the seg- 

 ments coppery and violescent. The under side is 

 golden colour and purple ; the legs black, inclining 



