82 COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



the thorax. One of these Beetles, belonging to the 

 typical genus, is known in science as Choleva angustata, 

 but possesses no popular title. 



The genus, of which there are seventeen British 



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species, is known by its narrow body, its long and 

 slender legs and antennae, the very obtuse hinder 

 angles of the thorax, and the oval and striated elytra. 

 The head is black and shining, the thorax is pitchy- 

 black, becoming greyish at the margins and posterior 

 angles. The elytra are rather variable in colour, 

 black being the leading hue, but they take shades of 

 red or grey according to the individual. The apex is 

 round and short, and each elytron is marked with 

 seven faint striae. The legs are pale reddish-yellow. 



The body is covered with a very fine and very 

 short yellowish down. It is not a large insect, seldom 

 exceeding one-sixth of an inch in length. 



It is not uncommon to take a specimen that is 

 pale rusty-red or yellow, the reason for this paler hue 

 being that the Beetle has only recently emerged from 

 the pupal state, so that the atmosphere has not exer- 

 cised its full influence upon it. When it has been 

 exposed for a few days to the air and light, the 

 reddish-yellow will change to the dark-red or grey- 

 black which is the usual colour of the Beetle. 



THE important family of the Histeridse now 

 comes before us. These are flattish square-bodied 

 Beetles, with a sort of steely look about them, and as 

 hard to the touch as if their elytra were veritable 

 pieces of plate armour. It is no easy task to get a 

 fine entomological pin through these creatures, the 



