OF AGRICULTURE. 81 



against other insects, and are incessantly on the 

 watch to catch and destroy all which happen to be- 

 come entangled in their webs. 



The Carolina Tiger Beetle. This beetle belongs to 

 Uie family, (cicindeledse), otherwise called "tiger 

 beetles," from their savage propensities, and the 

 beautiful spots and stripes with which their metallic 

 wing-cases are adorned. These beetles are always 

 hunting about the ground in search of insect food. 

 A smaller and darker species especially delight in 

 the glare of the sun, and, when disturbed, flies only 

 a short distance, alighting with its head directed to- 

 wards the object which excited its alarm. The Car- 

 olina tiger beetle is about seven- tenths of an inch in 

 length, of a most beautiful metallic blue, violet and 

 green , and when placed in certain positions, it as- 

 sumes the lustre of bronze or gold. It may also be 

 known by a yellowish curved spot on the extremity 

 of each wing-case. It is seen more frequently in the 

 cotton fields during cloudy weather, or toward even- 

 ing, than in the fervid mid- day sun. 



The Predatory Beetle. A beetle belonging to the 

 genus harpahiSj is very beneficial to the cotton planter, 

 inasmuch as its food consists principally of other 

 insects, and of dead putrescent substances. Numbers 

 of them may be seen running about the surface of 

 the ground in search of food. The formation of their 

 jaws is peculiarly adapted to a predatory life ; as they 

 are very strong and hooked at the extremity, they 

 are enabled to seize and hold fast any soft- bodied 

 inject. These beetles destroy multitudes of insects 

 in the larva, pupa and perfect state. 



The Devil's Coach-Horse. This insect generally 

 4* 



