PENTAMERANS. CARABUS. GYRINUS. <33 



4th. The Trime'rans (from the Greek, treis, three, and meros, 

 joint or part), in which all the tarsi have three articulations. 



COLEOP'TEROUS PENTAME'RANS. 



12. This division is composed of several families, among 

 which are the Carni'vora, the Ser'ricornes, the Cla'vicornes, and 

 the Lame'llicornes. 



13. The family of Carni'vora (from the Latin, caro, in the 

 genitive, carnis, flesh, and roro, I eat) is distinguished by having 

 double palpi on the maxillee. These insects pursue and devour 

 others. Several have no wings under the wing-covers or elytra. 

 The larvee are also very carni'vorous. This family is one of the 

 largest of the Coleop'tera, and contains a great many tribes and 



3nera. Among them we shall mention the Cicin'dela (from the 

 atin, cicendela, a glow-worm), a genus of small insects, pos- 

 sessed of brilliant metallic colours, commonly met with in dry, 

 sunny situations. They run with considerable swiftness, take 

 wing the moment they are approached, but alight at a short dis- 

 tance. The larvse excavate holes in the earth, and such is their 

 voracity that they devour other larva? of the same species, which 

 have taken up their abode in the neighbourhood. 



14. The Carabi Carabus which generally conceal them- 

 selves under stones or in the earth, one 



species of which, the Carabus auratus 

 (fig. 23), is very common in the environs 

 of Paris. It is about an inch long, and 

 remarkable for the brilliance of its co- 

 lours ; it is golden green above and black 

 below. All the Carabi are swift runners, 

 and when they have wings, rarely make 

 use of them. Most of them exhale a 

 fetid odour, and when disturbed, they 

 throw out from the mouth and anus a 

 caustic or acrid liquid. 



15. The genus Gy'rinvs (from the pig. 23. 

 Greek, guros, a circle) comprises aquatic CARABUS AURATUS. 

 insects that pass the greater part of 



their lives in the water, but they nevertheless are obliged to 

 visit the surface to breathe. Their four anterior legs are in form 

 of fins. They are often seen in numerous groups on the surface 

 of stagnant' pools ; they swim with great velocity, forming cir- 

 cular tracks in various directions. 



12. How are coleop'terous Pentame'rans divided? 



13. How is the family of Carni'vora distinguished? 



14. What are the characters of the genus Carabus ? 



15. How is the genus Gy'rinus characterized ? 



