on some common Coleoptera. 279 



Several specimens of Carahus violaceus and C. monills 

 were also in the vivarium. Contrary to what might be 

 supposed, they also fed greedily upon pieces of apple, into 

 which they dug deep holes with their mandibles. But 

 the moment a small earth-worm was placed in the %'ivarium 

 the apple was abandoned, and the worm devoured. I 

 should be inclined to think that the genus Carahus is 

 omnivorous. On the other hand, I have never been able 

 to induce a Cicindela to take any vegetable food. 



The " long-horns " do not readily accommodate them- 

 selves to a life of captivity. On the 4th of June this 

 year I found Callidium violaceum in great abundance 

 near Aylesbury. If so disposed I could easily have taken 

 fifty or sixty upon a fir-Avood railing about 150 yards in 

 length. I put several of them in my vivarium along with 

 some fir-wood, whose resinous juices they might imbibe, 

 and some half-decayed willow-wood in which they might 

 deposit eggs. They took no notice of either, but scam- 

 pered incessantly about till they perished from sheer ex- 

 haustion. Toxotus meridianus I found to be similarly 

 impatient of captivity. This insect seems to have a 

 remarkable power of resisting the ftimes of prussic acid. 

 One of them placed in a killing-box well charged with 

 potassium cyanide, and in which a great variety of insects 

 succumbed immediately or within a few minutes of being 

 introduced, survived as long as did another specimen in 

 the vivarium. 



The Telepliori cannot be studied in captivity, on 

 account of a similarly restless disposition. 



These insects have long been known as carnivorous, 

 but I am not aware whether it is on record that they are 

 most diligent devourers of plant-lice. During the months 

 of June and July this year nettles were infested Avith 

 aphides to a remarkable extent, and it was difficult to turn 

 up two nettle-leaves Avithout finding a Telephorus of one 

 or other species busy at work upon the depredators. In 

 this respect I shovild think that they are more serviceable 

 to the farmer and gardener than the lady-birds, being 

 more A^oracious, more active, and, on the average, more 

 numerous. 



X 2 



