132 BRITISH BEETLES. 



for their power of jumping when placed on the back, 

 from which their common names of " Skipjacks/ 7 or 

 " Click-beetles/' are derived. 



An Elater, before jumping, arches its body strongly, 

 depressing the head and thorax, and elevating the mid- 

 dle, so as both to free the dagger-like projection of the 

 prothorax from the sternal groove, and obtain a pur- 

 chase for its rapid re-insertion, which is accompanied by 

 a sharp clicking sound : the effect of this is to make the 

 end of the abdomen and elytra act as a lever, whereby 

 the insect is elevated to a considerable distance in the 

 air, nearly always coming on its legs, which are too 

 short, and too closely articulated to the body, to enable 

 it to reach the ground in any other way. If unsuccess- 

 ful in its first endeavour, it persists in skipping until it 

 lands itself right side up. 



The wings in this family are ample, and the flight 

 strong ; many of its members flying in the hot sunshine, 

 and basking in warm places ; though others are noctur- 

 nal, or at least crepuscular, in their habits. 



The British species are divided into three sub-families, 

 the Agrypnides, Elaterides, and Campylides ; of which 

 the first is distinguished by its antennae being received 

 into the furrows of the prosternum in repose. Our sole 

 undoubted species, Lacon murinus, a broad, somewhat 

 convex, and mottled-grey insect, is found in garden heaps 

 and grassy places. The prosternal furrows are not open 

 behind, and there are no lamellse to its tarsi beneath. 



The Elaterides present no decided character beyond 

 having the antennae free in repose : they comprise a 

 great number both of genera and species, all possessing 

 a certain family likeness, but whose divisions are com- 

 paratively artificial. The typical genus Elater com- 



