THE TIGER BEETLE. 67 



But beautiful as is the external appearance of this 

 charming Beetle, a single glance at his long acute 

 mandibles, which cross one another at about half 

 their length, will show that he is not intended to 

 browse peacefully upon the herbage that surrounds 

 him, and in fact, small as he is (the largest specimens 

 do not greatly exceed half an inch in length), he is 

 one of the most predaceous of our native Beetles. 

 Indeed his activity, whether on the ground or on the 

 wing, is so great, that it would be no easy matter for 

 any insect of small or moderate size to escape his 

 attack, and many an unfortunate fly is snapped up by 

 the little robber in his rapid flights from one spot to 

 another in the bright sunshine, or surprised, whilst 

 resting, by his sudden and unexpected descent. Well 

 indeed does he deserve the name of the Tiger com- 

 monly applied to him, resembling as he does that 

 most terrible of cats both in his beauty of appearance 

 and in his intensely carnivorous habits. 



Nor is the larva of this Beetle a whit behind the 

 perfect insect in its predaceous propensities. It is 

 about an inch in length, and lives in a cylindrical 

 burrow, which it digs into the ground to a depth of a 

 foot or more. In this it can ascend and descend at 

 pleasure, but usually remains with its head at the 

 aperture watching for the approach of any unlucky 

 small insect, which it immediately seizes, and drags 

 down into the recesses of its den, there to be devoured 

 at leisure. When full-grown it closes the mouth of 

 its burrow, and descending to the bottom, undergoes 

 its change to the pupa state. 



Besides the common Tiger Beetle (Cicindela cam- 

 pestris) just referred to, which may be met with in 

 almost all sandy or gravelly places, and several other 



