172 CARABINE. BLEMUS. 



took three or four in my presence from a salt marsh in the Isle 

 of Portland, which correspond with the present insect ; and my 

 friend Mr. Guyon secured a single example on the sea-shore at 

 Ventnor. 



Subfam. 5. BEMBIDIDES, Westwood. 



The genus Bembidium, first established by Latreille, is now 

 generally re-adopted to comprehend that little group of insects of 

 semi-aquatic habits, which, upon the authority of Megerle and 

 Ziegler, had been subdivided under the names Tachys, Notaphus, 

 Peryphus, Lopha, Leja, Tachypus and Blemus, to which have 

 been added by our British entomologists Cillenus, Ocys, Philoc- 

 thus and Lymnaum, because the characters upon which these 

 subdivisions are based were considered insufficient to warrant 

 the establishment of distinct genera. Of these, Blemus, Lym- 

 nceum and Cillenus are represented by solitary types of a very 

 remarkable character, which, from their general habit of passing 

 a considerable portion of their existence (more especially the 

 insect which represents the latter genus) in a state of submersion, 

 nearly approximate to Aepys, and form, in fact, a valuable con- 

 necting link between the Trechi and the true Bembidia. Between 

 Cillenus and the other Bembidia no material variation of internal 

 structure is observable, but the insects which represent Blemus 

 (PI. III. f. 1) and Lymrueum (PL III. f. 2) differ from them in 

 several particulars, and I have consequently ventured to retain 

 them as distinct genera. It is questionable, indeed, whether 

 they might not, with equal propriety, be placed among the 

 Trechi, more especially the remarkable species which represents 

 the genus Blemus, as it more nearly resembles the typical cha- 

 racters of Trechus in the ligula, paraglossae and palpi ; the apical 

 joint of the labial and maxillary palpi, though shorter than the 

 preceding, being more than double the length of the correspond- 

 ing one in Bembidium. In fact, M. Jacquelin-Duval has excluded 

 it from his monograph on the European Bembidia on those 

 grounds. 



Genus 47. BLEMUS, Ziegler. 



Mentum lateribus valde rotundato-dilatatis, dente medio integro. 

 Ligula lata membranacea apice subrotundata ; paraglossis 

 linearibus ligulam multum superantibus. Palpi maxillares 

 articulo secundo margins externo inflato, penultimo elongate 

 incrassato paululum securiformi, labiales articulo penultimo 

 subovali, ultimis gracillimis subelongatis at penultimis brevi- 

 oribus. Maxillae graciles, acutce, lobo interno intus spinuloso- 



