76 



INTRODUCTION. 



underneath on any alarm, and the insect remains quite motionless 

 and so is passed over by its numerous enemies. 



The larvae of the majority of the Staphylinid^s are closely 

 allied to those of the Caeabid^ in general appearance, and in 

 shape and habits are very nearly related to one another, being 

 long and linear and very active and rapacious ; a few, however 

 (such as Syntomium), are short and broad, and bear some analogy, 

 at all events superficially, to the Stlphid^e. Descriptions of 



Fig. 34. — PMlonthus nitidus. Larva X 5. (After Schiodte.) 



several, with beautiful figures, are given by Schiodte (De Met. 

 Eleuth. part ii). As Lacordaire remarks, they approach nearer to 

 the shape of the perfect insect than the larvae of almost any other 

 Coleoptera ; they have no distinct labrum, and the body is well 

 protected by corneous plates or scuta; the abdomen is terminated 

 by an anal appendage, which is apparently used for locomotion, 

 and by two cerci, one on each side ; the legs are well developed, 

 but have only one claw. As a rule, these larvae prey on other 

 insects, but occasionally, as in the case of Bledius, they appear to 

 be themselves the victims, for there can be no doubt that the 

 species of Dyschirius (Carabidje), which are found associated with 



