58 BRITISH BEETLES. 



the former, which is wide; the last joint of their palpi 

 also is conic, acute, and scarcely smaller than the pre- 

 ceding, which is nearly conic. 



This family contains only three British genera of 

 small species; one, Trechus, not in any way remarkable; 

 the next, &pys, being composed of two very minute, 

 flat, yellowish insects, found absolutely under the tide- 

 mark at mouths of rivers, under stones, and in salt- 

 marshes, in Scotland, Ireland, Devon, Isle of Wight, 

 etc.; and the last, Blemus, represented by a single 

 species, areolatus, another very small pitchy-black beetle, 

 which is found rarely on sands at the mouths of rivers, 

 in Wales, etc. 



The last of the Geodephaga, the BEMBTDIIDES, may 

 readily be known by the end joint of their palpi being 

 acute, needle-shaped, and extremely small, the preced- 

 ing joint being large and club-shaped. The two first 

 joints of the front tarsi are sometimes widened in 

 the male ; but often the front tarsi are simple in both 

 sexes. 



The members of this family are all very small, the 

 largest not being a quarter of an inch in length, and one 

 ef them, Bembidium bistriatum, three-quarters of a line 

 long, is the smallest British Geodephagous insect. They 

 occur generally in very wet places, such as the seashore, 

 banks of ponds, rivers and streams ; in reedy marshes, 

 and under stones in bogs, etc. Their prevailing colour 

 is brassy-green or bronze, many being black ; and there 

 is a tendency in the majority to assume a pattern of four 

 white or yellow spots on the wing-cases. Several 

 species emit an acrid, nasty-smelling, milky fluid, on 

 being captured. 



B. flammulatum, found commonly in marshes, is one 



