78 VORACITY OF THE CARABID^. 



is derived from the flesh of the smaller insects 

 which they are able to overcome, and they seize as 

 booty any recent animal matter which chance may 

 throw in their way. They are so constantly forag- 

 ing about for provisions, so incessantly running 

 across our paths, that they must occasionally be 

 trampled to death. 



Hence " the poor beetle that we tread upon " 

 probably belongs to the tribe forbidden by the fairies 

 to come near the sleeping Titania : — 



" Beetles black, approach not here." 



Almost everj^ stone during spring and summer forms 

 a covering for some of these insects, as you have no 

 doubt observed on many occasions. So numerous 

 are the individuals comprised in some of the families 

 into which they are divided, that of one very com- 

 mon kind fCarabidceJ, Curtis states we have two 

 hundred and seventy-five British species. All of 

 these are complete cannibals in their habits, and 

 sometimes by their rapacity disappoint the inexperi- 

 enced collector. On one occasion, when I was from 

 home on an entomological excursion, I put three of 

 them into a box together until I had an opportunity 

 of plunging them into hot water, the most expeditious 

 method of killing them. In about an hour I re- 

 turned to the house, and found, to my disappoint- 



