CARABID.E. CARABUS. 55 



Ca. auronitens. Fabricius. — Steph. Cuial. No. 75. 



Head glossy golden-green, thickly punctate ; with an elongate fovea on each 

 side near the eyes : thorax cordate, slightly notched anteriorly, deeply so pos- 

 teriorly, the hinder angles prominent, deflexed, rather acuminated; above 

 rather convex, brilliant golden-green, thickly and somevirhat deeply punc- 

 tulated, with a slight longitudinal line, and an obsolete rounded foveola on 

 each side at the base: elytra ovate, dilated in the middle, very convex, 

 shining green-gold ; each with three elevated bluish-black ribs, and one on 

 the suture; the interstices thickly and deeply ruggedly punctate, and of a 

 silken gloss : body beneath smooth, shining blue-black : thighs rufous : tibia? 

 pitchy red: tarsi black: antenna, with the basal joints, entirely red, the 

 three following black, glabrous, pitchy at the tip ; the remainder pubescent, 

 black-brown : mandibles and palpi pitchy-red, outwardly dusky. 



This splendidly brilliant species lias long been traditionally re- 

 puted a native of Britain ; and 1 have recently been informed that 

 Mr. H. Griesbaeh has a specimen, which was lately taken near 

 Dover, but I have not seen it. 



Sp. 16. auratus. Plate III. f. 6. — Oblongus, aureo-viridis, anlennarum aili- 

 culis quatuor baseos, ore pedibusque rufis, elytris costis tribus Itevibus, intci- 

 stitiis subtilissime pmiclulatis. (Long. corp. 1 unc.) 



Ca. auratus. Linn^. — Steph. Catal. No. 76. 



Head glossy green-gold, slightly punctate, with a short impression on each side 

 between the eyes : thorax heart-shaped, a little emarginate in front, but more 

 deeply notched behind, the hinder angles deflexed, acuminated, rather convex 

 above, glossy green-gold, thickly transversely wrinkled, with a longitudinal 

 impression, and an oblong foveola on each side at the base; elytra oblong- 

 ovate, convex above, shining green-gold, with the margin cupreous or pur- 

 phsh, each with three elevated smootli ribs, the interstices finely granulated ; 

 the suture also elevated; and the margin rather rough: the body beneath 

 glossy blue-black, with the pleura and lateral base of the abdomen greenish : 

 the legs red ; the tarsi pitchy-brown : the four basal joints of the antenna 

 rufous and bald, the rest brown and pubescent : the mandibles and palpi 

 rufous, with black tips. 



A rare British species ; I have hitherto seen but three indi- 

 genous specimens : one in the British Museum taken near Ex- 

 mouth, Devon ; a second in the collection of Mr. Raddon, taken 

 by Mr. Gibbs, in the same county; and the third (from which the 

 accompanying figure was taken) in my own cabinet. 



According to Latreille this insect is particularly destructive to 

 the common cock chaffer (Melolontiia vulgaris), by attacking and 

 killing the females at the moment of oviposition, and thus pre- 

 venting the birth of thousands of young larvae. 



