SECRETARY'S REPORT. 135 



through woods, and upon Uirge flat rocks, shaded by thick 

 foliage, where its beautiful green color attracts immediate 

 attention. 



Cicind6la punctuldta of Olivier, or the " dotted 

 tiger-beetle," (figure 11,) is the smallest species 

 found in this State. It is of a dark bronze, or even 

 black color, and tlie usual lunules of this genus are 

 contracted, and often broken into mere specks of 

 white ; the tips are more distinctly margined with a 

 very narrow white line, with a cluster of small blue '^'g- 1^ 

 or green punctures on the base of the elytra; inside of this an 

 irregular row of similar punctures on each side of and almost 

 parallel with the suture. It measures about .43 in length, and 

 but little over .16 in breadth. It is a very common species on 

 sandy roads, and is even found in the streets of cities. 



Cicindela dorsdlis of Say, or " white-backed tiger-beetle," 

 and Cicindela le-pida of Dejean, or the "elegant tiger-beetle," 

 are only found near the coast on the whito sand-beach ; the 

 prevailing color of their elytra being white, enables them more 

 easily to escape detection. The only place in this State where 

 they have been found, to my knowledge, is the island of 

 Martha's Vineyard. 



Cicindela margindta of Fabricius, or the " margined tiger- 

 beetle," is of an olive color with green reflection, and with a 

 broad whitish margin sending lunules and flecks of white 

 toward the suture. The tips of the elytra in the female, 

 instead of being rounded like those of other species, are bent 

 backward and downwards, giving to the extremity something 

 like the outline of the letter W. It is found on the salt- 

 marshes along the eastern coast. Length about .60, breadth 

 less than .25. One or two other species are occasionally found 

 in this State, belonging to this interesting and useful genus, 

 but would hardly be distinguished by the casual observer from 

 some of the above-described.* 



The large family called Cardbida' — from cdrabus, a lobster — 

 is commonly known by the name of " ground beetles," and 

 consists almost entirely of insectivorous species, none of the 



* Full descriptions, with illustrations of this genus, may be found in the 

 Transactions of the American Philosophical Society for 1857, Vol. XI., con- 

 taining all the known species of North America, by Dr. John L. Leconte. 



