OR WATER BEETLES. 79 



about two inches in length, and it is said, in the sum- 

 mer, to attain its maturity in about fifteen days. It 

 then bids farewell to the water for a short time, and 

 buries itself in the banks, forming a small, oval, or 

 rounded chamber in which to pass its quiescent pupa 

 state. The duration of this varies greatly according 

 to the season of the year, those beetles which change 

 to pupse in the summer making their appearance in 

 the perfect state in the course of a fortnight or three 

 weeks, whilst those which undergo this transforma- 

 tion late in the autumn, remain in their subterranean 

 caves through the winter. The perfect insects are to 

 be seen in the water at all seasons. 



It will be unnecessary to refer particularly to any 

 of the other species of this group. To use the tinker's 

 description of his family, "we have 'em of all sizes, 

 like sarcepans," and from the smallest to the largest 

 they all exhibit nearly the same form and habits, 

 only differing in matters of detail. They are found 

 in all pieces of water, ponds, ditches, lakes, and rivers 

 indifferently, and a few species may be found even in 

 swiftly running streams. The larvae of ail are very 

 similar to that of Dyticus, and as far as their powers 

 will allow them, imitate the predaceous habits of that 

 formidable insect, and they all, like it, seek the banks 

 to undergo their final transformation. 



We need not go far in search of an example of 

 another group of Beetles nearly allied to the fore- 

 going. If our rummaging after Dytici and their 

 larvae have not induced them to seek safety in con- 

 cealment, we shall probably find in some sheltered 

 corner of our pond a dozen or two of little shining 



