66 MANDIBULATA. — COLEOPTERA. 



a process on each side : labial palpi with four joints, the basal fixed : mentu?n 

 deeply emarginate anteriorly, the notch simple or furnished with a tooth in 

 the middle, which is frequently bifid : bodi/ elongate : neck rarely distinct : 

 anterior tarsi more or less dilated in the males. 



The Harpalidse are less voracious than the Carabidse. Some of 

 the species are of brilliant metallic colours, but the prevalent hue 

 is black and sombre, — whence they have been termed Amaurona by 

 Kirby ; and from the similitude of their colouring to our notions of 

 that of the " fell demon of darkness," they have received in several 

 parts of the country the name of imps *. They run with celerity, 

 and many of the species fly well; whereas the majority of certain 

 groups are perfectly apterous. The larvae reside, in common with 

 the imago, beneath stones, feeding voraciously on other larvse and 

 small insects ; they are generally elongate, cylindric, or a little 

 depressed ; the body is composed of twelve scaly rings, exclusive 

 of the head, which are slightly sericeous ; the terminal joint is rough, 

 with tubercles on the sides, and the tip armed with two small emar- 

 ginate processes : the head is small, and furnished with several little 

 shining eminences, which occupy the situation of the eyes; the 

 mouth nearly resembles that of the perfect insects, and the body is 

 less scaly beneath than above. 



Latreille justly remarks that the study of this family is attended 

 with great difficulty, as the species are so numerous and similar in 

 their general form and colours, that it is nearly impossible to fix the 

 limits of the various natural groups of which the Harpalida? evidently 

 consist. It is, therefore, with diffidence that I venture to propose 

 the following tabular view of the indigenous genera : 



A . Meiitum antic^ emarginatum ; dente medio nullo. 



{obtusae: Palpi r articulo ultimo ovale : . 27. Licinus. 



\articuIo ultimo securiforme 2G Badister. 



acuta: ..... 28. REMBVS. 



* Many of the species are greatly infested with Gordii, a fact so generally 

 known to the "companions of my youth," that whenever an "imp" was seen 

 basking in the sun, it was immediately subjected to the ordeal of a pool of water, 

 for the purpose of ejecting the serpent (thus called) from his lurking place : an 

 incident I record with pleasure, as it is not only the oldest entomological fact 

 that is imprinted on my memory, but is associated with my earliest impressions. 



