Bkachinid^.- 



-INSECTS.- 



-Galekita. 



205 



and eye." Tlie pale-coloured species are confiiiGil to 

 the most extensive of the sandy beaches, where the 

 sand is finest and whitest. 



Mr. Bates found the larvae of the Megaoephalfe in 

 the same sandy districts frequented by the perfect 

 insects. They live in cylindrical burrows, where they 

 lie in wait for their prey. As in the Tiger beetles, the 

 head in tlie larva is broad, semicircular, and hollowed 

 above, with the mandibles curved upwards, so as to be 

 able to seize anything which may fall on the concave 

 upper surface of the head. He describes the larvaj as 

 being so rapacious and irritable that they seize at any- 

 thing that disturbs them. In this way they are easily 

 taken by inserting a straw in their burrows, which they 

 instantly seize with their mandibles and pertinaciously 

 retain. This is the case with our common Tiger beetle, 

 Cicindela campestris. 



The average length of the species is from six to 

 eight lines long, but one of the pale-coloured species 

 — the Megacephala tcstudinea of King — is nearly an 

 inch in length. To the pale-coloured species Mr. 

 Westwood has applied the name Anunosia, from the 

 Greek word for sand. Our finest species is the Cicindela 

 syh'atica, which is common on the heaths of Surrey 

 and Hampshire. 



Many of the Indian species are very finely coloured. 

 A beautiful one from India the writer named C 

 Hamiltoniaiia, has a 3'ellow stripe down each elytron. 

 To another delicate green one, from the Neilgherry 

 hills, or rather from Coimbatoor, I have given the 

 name of Cicindela Walhousei. 



The white Cicindelae are very curious, and, indeed, 

 the diversity of marking and sculpture in the various 

 species of Tiger beetles is quite a study. Mr. Thomson 

 of Paris has monographed them in a fine quarto work. 



TllERATES. — The species of Tlierates are large- 

 eyed, and have a very big upper lip. They are found 

 in the Eastern islands, and have great powers of flight. 

 Like our Tiger beetles, they take flight on the slightest 

 alarm. One specimen, Mr. Adams observes, "had just 

 regaled himself with a fly, which I allowed him to eat 

 up before I attempted to make him a prisoner." He 

 held the insect " firmly with the dilated tarsi of the fore 

 feet, had cut off the head with his powerful mandibles, 

 and was busily intent in consuming the flesh of the 

 inside of the thorax, shaking his prey occasionally like 

 a tiger, which these Cicindelidae most assuredly repre- 

 sent in the insect world." 



Mr. Wallace has lately sent from Aru, and other 

 Eastern islands, some curiously two-coloured species of 

 tliis genus. 



BUACIIINID.E {Bombardier Beetles). — In most of 

 these the elytra are truncated at the end, and the head 

 and thorax are much nan'ower than the abdomen, 

 which gives them altogether a peculiar appearance. 

 The species of the typical genus, Bnichinus, of which 

 two or three are met with in this country, are able to 

 defend themselves in a singular manner. When they 

 are attacked, or suddenly stopped, these insects emit 

 frora the anus a volatile fluid, which has a pungent 

 scent. This is accompanied with a considerable explo- 

 sion. Jlr. John Bowring found a large Brachinus in 

 small societies under stones, on the highest peaks of 



the island of Hong Kong; he informs me they wore 

 plentiful under piles erected during the ordnance survey 

 of Hong Kong. This species crepitates with consider- 

 able power, firing off several discharges with great 

 rapidity. The volatile liquid burns the hands and 

 stains them, so that the marks are visible for many 

 days. Another observer, who immersed a Brachinus 

 in boiling water, records its bombardier powers, and 

 says that the water, for about an inch around it, effer- 

 vesced. Mr. Lewis states that a Tasmanian Lebia, 

 when provoked, emitted a very pungent odour resem- 

 bling muriatic acid, which, when applied to the nostrils, 

 caused great irritation. Some authors have tried to 

 throw doubts on the statement that the explosion of 

 these insects is accompanied with noise. The following 

 circumstance, however, communicated to me by the 

 celebrated traveller Burchell, will be sufficient (were 

 other evidence wanting, which is not the case) to con- 

 firm the correctness of the recorded statement. While 

 resting for the night on the banks of one of the large 

 South American rivers, he went out with a lantern to 

 make an astronomical observation, accompanied by one 

 of his black servant boys ; and as they were proceed- 

 ing, their attention was directed to numerous beetles 

 running about upon the shore, which, when captured, 

 proved to be specimens of a large species of Brachinus. 

 On being seized, they immediately hegan to play off their 

 artillery, burning and staining the flesh to such a degree 

 that only a few specimens could be captured with the 

 naked hand, leaving a mark which remained for a con- 

 siderable time. On observing the whitish vapour by which 

 the explosions were accompanied, the negro exclaimed 

 with surprise, " Ah ! massa, they make smoke."* 



Fig. 62, 



Galci'ita Lecoutci. 



Larva of G. Lccontei. 



Here is figured the queer larva of Galerita Lecontei 

 —figs. 62, 03— a long-legged bluish-black beetle, with 

 somewhat truncated elytra, black head, brownish-red 

 » Introduction to Modem Classification, vol. i., p. 76. 



