COLEOPTERA. 
363 
FAMILY 1. 
CARNIVORA* 
Two palpi to each maxilla, or six in all ; antennae almost always 
filiform or setaceous, and simple. 
The maxillEe are terminated by a scaly hook or claw, and the in- 
terior side is furnished with cilia or little spines. The ligula is fixed 
in an emargination of the mentum. The two anterior legs are in- 
serted on the sides of a compressed sternum, and placed on a large 
patella; the two posterior have a stout trochanter at their origin; 
their first joint is large, appears to be confounded with the post- 
pectus, and forms a curvilinear triangle with the exterior side 
excavated. 
These Insects pursue and devour others. Several have no wings 
under their elytra. The anterior tarsi in most of the males are dilated 
or widened. 
The larvae also are very carnivorous. Their body is usually cylin- 
drical, elongated, and composed of twelve rings ; the head, which is 
not included in this supputation, is large, squamous, armed with two 
stout mandibles, recurved at the point, and presents two short and 
conical antennae, two maxillae divided into two branches, one of which 
is formed by a palpus, a ligula bearing two palpi, shorter than the 
others, and six small simple eyes on each side. The first annulus is 
covered by a squamous plate ; the others are soft, or have but little 
firmness. Each of the three first bears a pair of legs, the extremity 
of which curves forwards. 
These larvae differ according to the genus. In those of the Cicin- 
delae and of the Aristus bucephalus, the top of the head is very con- 
cave in the middle,3vhilst its inferior portion is convex. They have 
two small simple eyes, on each side, much larger, and similar to those 
of the Lycosae. The superior plate of the first segment is large, and 
forms a semicircular shield. There are two hooked mammillae on 
the back of the eight annulus ; the last has no remarkable appendage. 
In the other larvae of this family Avhich are known to us, those of 
Omophron excepted, the head is weaker and more equal. The sim- 
ple eyes are very small and similar. The squamous piece of the first 
* Carnassiers, Cuv. — Adephage, Clairv. This family, which is one of the largest 
of the Coleoptera, already illustrated by the labours of Weber, Clairville, and Bonelli, 
with respect to the method, will finally be reduced to order, as regards the species, 
if Count Dejean continue his “ Species des Col^opt^res,” four volumes of which are 
now published, a work remarkable for the exactness of its descriptions. 
