136 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



family in this country liaving been found injurious to agricul- 

 ture, although in Europe one or two species are accused of so 

 far deviating from the usual course as to cause some damage 

 in cornfields by devouring the grain.* Among the first of our 

 ground beetles in tlie natural classification stands the 



Casndnia pensylvdnica of Dejean, or " Pennsylvanian 

 I Casnonia," (figure 12, magnified,) a slender insect, 

 ^ with a black polished head, broadest between the eyes, 

 and' tapering behind to a very narrow neck, thorax as 

 long as or longer than the head, narrowest before. 

 Fig. 12. rounded and polished black like the head, abdomen 

 black beneath, feet and four basal joints of the antennae yellow- 

 ish, remainder of the antennre dusky ; elytra reddish, longitu- 

 dinally punctured in rows, a black band across the middle, 

 sometimes broken into three spots, and the tips black. Length 

 about .25, breadth about .06. 



Galerita janus of Pabricius, or the " Janus ground-beetle," 

 was named for Janus, an ancient Roman deity ; galerita signi- 

 fies adorned with a head-dress of red leather in the form of a 

 helmet. It is of somewhat similar form to the following, 

 although much larger, measuring .70 in length, and .23 in 

 breadth. The head is black, with a longitudinal red stripe 

 beneath ; antennce reddish, except the second, third and fourth 

 joints, whicli are fuscous ; thorax and feet reddish ; abdompn 

 fuscous beneath ; elytra dark blue, or purple, longitudinally 

 furrowed. 



BracMnns fumans of Linnaeus, or the " smoking 

 bombardier," (figure 13,) is one of a large genus 

 having the remarkable property when attacked of 

 ejecting from the anus a small amount of liquid, or 

 vapor, accompanied by a slight report and a peculiar 

 Fig. 13. qJqj. . ^iijg giii)gtance discolors the fingers while hold- 

 ing the insect, and resembles niti-ic acid in its effects. This 

 operation may be repeated as many as twenty times before the 

 stock of ammunition appears to be exhausted, and is supj>oscd 

 to be intended as a defence against more powerful beetles. 

 This peculiarity ac(iuircd for this genus the common name of 



* Sec Kolliir's Troati.sc on In.sect.s Injurious to Gardeners, &c., page 87, and 

 Curti.s'fi "Farm In.seet.s," jjages I'll.' — L'lt. 



