CAR ABIDES. 



695 



spiral ; the tentacula, toot, and branchia, as in the 

 genus Crepidula, hereafter described. The shell is 

 irregular and conical ; the summit more or less 

 inclined, and twisted backwards towards the posterior 

 edge; the aperture is rounded, the margins irregular, 

 the cavity deep, with a horse-shoe muscular impres- 

 sion open towards the front of the shell, and the 

 termination of its ends rather unequal. Its trivial 

 name is the foolscap limpet. The genus is divided 

 into three species : those which have the summit 

 slightly defined, and not inclined to one side, as in the 

 ('. i-Ditinis ; those with the summit distinctly marked, 

 and a little twisted, as in C. ungaricus ; and those 

 which are sub-spiral, as in the C. intorta. Four recent 

 species are known, and six fossil. De Blainville does 

 not admit of sufficient evidence to establish Lamarck's 

 genus Pilcopxis from the species of this family, and 

 Sowerby considers the Pileopsis ungarica, commonly 

 called the foolscap limpet, and its congeners, to 

 belong more properly to the genus Hipponlx of De 

 France. They are found in aU the seas of warm 

 climates. 



CARABID^E (Leach). A family of coleopterous 

 insects belonging to the section Pcntamcra, and 

 forming with the family Cicinddida;, a sub-section 

 named by the French authors, Carnassiers tcrrestres 

 (Adep/ififta geodephaga), or voracious ground beetles. 

 Tliis family comprises the genus Carabus of Linnaeus, 

 with a few of the Cicindelec, but which, as we have 

 already stated, in our observations upon the modern 

 system of nomenclature, under the article Canceridee, 

 has now become so extensive, that not fewer than 

 two thousand five hundred species are possessed by 

 the Baron Dejean alone ; it has therefore become 

 necessary to distribute this immense number of spe- 

 cies into various minor groups, and accordingly Mr. 

 Me Leay. adopting the divisions, but not the names 

 of Latreille, has divided them into four groups, which 

 he terms families, named Brachtntdee, Scaritidte, Har- 

 jxil/da,', and Carabida:, to which Mr. Stephens has 

 added two others, Elaphridce and BcmbidiidtE. It 

 appears to us, however, to be much more convenient 

 to retain the family name in its original extent, and 

 consequently to consider all these groups as sub- 

 families, to which the family name of Carabida; may 

 be jointly applied. We have, however, followed in 

 the usual train, and have already given the BRACHI- 

 NID/E (which see) as a family. In this article, 

 therefore, we shall give a short sketch of the higher 

 groups, Adcphaga and Geodephaga (the family CICIN- 

 DELID^E being so near at hand) ; we shall then 

 characterise the Carabidce in its Linnoean extent, and 

 complete the article by a notice of the sub-family, as 

 \ve propose to consider it of the Cut-abides, and its 

 genera. In examining the organs of the mouth of 

 the coleopterous insects, the greatest variety will be 



Under jaw of Carabus. 



found to exist in their construction. In none of the 

 parts, however, is this so observable as in the lower 

 jaw and its appendages. Theoretically speaking, this 

 organ consists of a transverse base by which it is 

 attached to the head, an upright stem supporting 

 externally an articulated limb or the maxillary palpus, 



next an elongated lobe, and internally a second lobe. 

 In many instances these two lobes are either quite 

 soldered together, or one of them becomes obsolete ; 

 but amongst the predacious beetles, including the 

 four Lionseao genera, Cicindela, Carabus, JDytiscvs, 

 and Gyrin/is, we iind the lobes not only perfectly 

 distinct, but also the outer one transformed into an 

 articulated feeler ; hence these insects have been 

 ordinarily described as possessing six palpi, in addition 

 to which the internal lobe of the lower jaw is scaly, 

 and terminated by an acute point or by a moveable 

 claw, beneath which the same organ is ciliated with 

 strong bristles. Now these characters clearly indi- 

 cate a very increased power possessed by the parts 

 of the mouth, the upper jaws being also horny, and 

 very strong and toothed ; and we accordingly find 

 that these insects are amongst the most ravenous of 

 beetles, preying for the most part upon living insects, 

 being in fact the tigers and sharks of the beetle 

 tribes ; hence their names of Carnassiers or Adephuga : 

 but another peculiarity amongst carnivorous animals 

 is found in their increased powers of motion ; and we 

 accordingly find this character also strongly impressed 

 upon these insects. The legs are generally long and 

 slender, and well formed for activity ; the anterior 

 pair are inserted at the sides of the compressed pro- 

 sternum, and implanted by means of a circular ball or 

 rotule, which gives them great powers of motion ; 

 but here we find that although the organisation of 

 the mouth indicated identity of predacious habits, 

 the organisation of the legs as clearly evinces the 

 nature of the element in which the different groups 

 reside. The terrestrial species (Cicindela and Carabus} 

 having the legs formed for running, are accordingly 

 termed Gcodcp/iaga, whilst the aquatic species (Dytiscus 

 and Gyrinus} having the legs formed for swimming, 

 are termed Hydradephaga. In the former the legs 

 are placed at nearly equal distances, the posterior 

 coxae being much smaller than in the aquatic species, 

 and not soldered as in them, to the poststernum. 

 The body is likewise generally oblong, with the eyes, 

 large and prominent, the jaws are likewise not con- 

 cealed by the upper lip, whilst the breadth of the 

 thorax never surpasses its length. 



It would be a curious inquiry to trace out through 

 nature the parallel analogies which these two groups 

 of insects exhibit in their terrestrial and aquatic pre- 

 daceous habits, but it is one which we have neither 

 time nor space to enter upon at the present. 



The predacious land beetles form two families 

 corresponding with the Linnajan genera Cicindela and 

 Carabm. The latter, to which we must now restrict 

 our observations, is distinguished from the former by 

 having the under jaws terminated in an acute but not 

 articulated point. The lower lip is exposed with the 

 labial palpi three-jointed only, the first joint being 

 soldered to the lip and immoveable, and serving as a 

 support to the long second joint. The character 

 adopted from the toothed upper jaws, which has been 

 employed to separate the two groups, admits of some 

 exceptions, as in Scaritcs, Pamborus, &c., although 

 generally speaking the mandibles of the Linnaean 

 C'aralu are but slightly toothed. The head is like- 

 wise in general narrower than the thorax. These 

 insects are preeminently runners, whilst the Cichtdc- 

 lida; are fliers ; indeed in many instances the wings 

 are entirely wanting in the former, the elytra being 

 soldered together, but this character is by no means 

 indicative of distinction of species, as has been assorted 



