58 INSECTS AHUM AH. 



the specimen which has been described was taken at Djan-djan. 

 The generic name, Diocfcs, is Greek, and signifies " a pursuer." 

 The name Chlseniidae, by which the whole tribe are distill 

 guished, is also Creek: it signifies a soft woollen mantle of 

 silky texture, and is applied to these Hectics on account of the 

 peculiar silken gloss of their upper surface. 



Next comes the tribe of Pterostichi. This name is formed 

 from two Greek words, the former signifying "a wing," and the 

 latter a "row" or "rank." It is given to these insects because their 

 elytra are covered with bold ridges, set in rows or ranks parallel 

 to each other. We have plenty of them in this country, mostly 

 however small, black, and seldom noticed except by professed 

 entomologists. They are all very quick and active in their 

 movements, and, if disturbed from beneath the stones under 

 which they love to hide, run to find another shelter with such 

 rapidity that it is not too easy to catch them. One or two of our 

 British species have received names expressive of this quality, 

 among which is the generic name Stcropus, or "lightning." 



One of the largest and most remarkable of these insects is 

 given in the illustration on the next page. It is a native of 

 Java, and is known to entomologists by the name of Catadrom us 

 tencbrioides. 



This is altogether a big Beetle, and conveys at once an im- 

 pression of very great strength. At first sight it appears to be 

 nothing but shining black, but when the light falls favourably 

 upon it, both the thorax and the elytra are seen to be decorated 

 with a band of deep, brilliant, shining green. On each of the 

 hinder angles of the thorax there is a large and deep im- 

 pression, and the interior of that depression is of a similar 

 green. The elytra, which are rather flat, are boldly ridged, and 

 there is a sort of flattening at the ends as if they had been 

 pinched while soft. Along the green edge is a series of rather 

 large and moderately dee]) punctures. With the exception of 

 the green edging the whole of the insect is shining black. 



Both the legs and jaws are exceedingly powerful, and the 

 body is so formed, being of exactly equal diameter throughout 

 its length, that the insect is evidently able to penetrate into 

 places which would seem too small to conceal an insect of such 



