COLEOPTEKA. . 347 



troops, they appear like brilliant points, swimming and wheeling with great 

 agility in all sorts of curves, and in every direction, whence the name of Puce 

 aquatique and Tourniquet given to them by authors. Sometimes they remain 

 motionless, but the instant any one approaches, they escape, by swimming, and 

 dive with great celerity. Their four last legs serve them as oars, and the two 

 before for seizing their prey. Placed on water, the superior surface of their 

 body is always dry, and when they dive, a little bubble of air, resembling a 

 silvery globule, remains fixed to its posterior extremity. When seized, a lac- 

 teous fluid oozes from their body which spreads over it, and which, perhaps, 

 produces that disagreeable and penetrating odour they then diffuse, and which 

 remain attached to the fingers for a long time. Sometimes they remain at the 

 bottom of the water clinging to plants : there, also, it is probable they secrete 

 themselves to pass the winter. 



FAMILY II. 



BRACHELYTRA. 



In the second family of the Pentamerous Coleoptera we find but one palpus 

 to the maxillae, or four in all; the antennas, sometimes of equal thickness, and 

 at others sh'ghtly enlarged at the end, are usually composed of lenticular or 

 graniform joints; the elytra are much shorter than, the body, which is narrow 

 and elongated, and the coxae of the two anterior legs are very large ; near the 

 extremity of the abdomen are two vesicles which the animal protrudes at will. 



These Coleoptera compose the genus 



STAPHYLINUS, Linnceus. 



The Staphylini have been considered as forming the passage from the Coleop- 

 tera to the Forficuke, the first genus of the following order. They commonly 

 have a large flattened head, stout mandibles, short antennae, a thorax as wide 

 as the abdomen, and the elytra truncated at the extremity, but still covering 

 the wings, which preserve their usual extent. The semi-annuli of the top of 

 the abdomen are as scaly as those of the venter. The vesicles of the extremity 

 consist in two conical and pilose points, which are protruded and retracted at 

 the will of the animal ; a subtile vapour escapes from them, which, in some 

 species, has a strong odour of sulphuric ether. 



These insects, when touched, or while they run, elevate the extremity of their 

 abdomen and flex it in every direction. They also use it to push their wings 

 under the elytra. The tarsi of their two anterior legs are frequently broad and 

 dilated, and their coxae, as well as those of the intermediate legs, are very large. 

 They are usually found in earth, and other matters; some live in mushrooms, 

 rotten wood, or under stones ; others are only met with in aquatic locali ties. 

 Some very small ones keep on flowers. They are all voracious, run with great 

 swiftness, and take wing very promptly. 



The larva bears a close resemblance to the perfect insect : it has the figure 



