CANTHARIS, CAXTHARIS. 



Generic Character. 



Antenna setaceae. 

 Thorax mavginatus, capite 



brevior. 

 Elytra fiexiJia. 

 Abdominis latera plicato- 



papillosa. 



Antenna setaceous, 

 Thorax margined, shorter 



than the head. 

 IVing-Sheaths flexile. 

 Abdomen pleated into pa* 



pillae on the sides. 



o 



'XE of the most elegant insects of this genus 

 is the Scarlet Cantharis, (doubtful whether a 

 Linnasan species). It is entirely of a vivid red, 

 except the body, legs, and antennae, which are 

 coal-black. Its length is something more than 

 half an inch. 



Cantharis bipustulata is a beautiful insect, con- 

 siderably smaller than the preceding, and of a 

 more slender or cylindric shape: its colour is a 

 very dark but elegant gilded green, with the tips 

 of the wing-shells red, and on each side the thorax, 

 a little below the setting on of the wing-shells, is a 

 triple vesicle, of a bright red colour, extensile or 

 retractile at the pleasure of the insect, and which, 

 if accurately observed by the microscope, will 

 generally be found to exhibit an alternate infla- 

 tion and contraction, resembling that of the lungs 

 in the larger animals. This species is found dur- 



v. vi. p. i. Q 



