128 NATURAL HISTORY OP 



colour, except the eyes, which are yellowish. The 

 outline of the thorax approaches to a hexagonal 

 form ; the surface is thickly covered with deep 

 punctures, which run together and render it very 

 rough ; the margins are slightly elevated, and there 

 is a faint line down the centre. The elytra are 

 elongate-oval and very convex, each of them having 

 seven longitudinal ridges, which unite at the extre- 

 mity : in the bottom of the furrows between these 

 ridges there is a row of small tubercles. It inhabits 

 Senegal and the coast of Guinea. 



The genus Calosoma is chiefly distinguished from 

 the true Carabi, to which it is very closely allied, 

 by possessing wings ; by the third joint of the an- 

 tennae, which is considerably longer than the others, 

 and somewhat sharp on its outer edge ; by the man- 

 dibles being destitute of teeth ; and by the form of 

 the thorax, which is somewhat transverse, that is, 

 wider than long, and equally rounded on the sides. 

 The form of the elytra likewise differs, as they ap- 

 proach more to a square shape than is usual among 

 the carabideous tribes. Both as larvae and in their 

 perfect form, these insects prey upon other species 

 of their own class. The grubs, which resemble a 

 small black worm, take up their abode in the nests 

 generally of the processionary moth (Lasiocampa 

 Processioned)^ and devour the caterpillars in great 

 numbers. When in a state of repletion and inac- 

 tivity from excessive gluttony, they are sometimes 

 attacked and devoured by the smaller individuals of 



