n 



c. Anterior tarsi 5-jointed, posterior pairs 4-jointed - Heteromera. 

 B. Antennae clubbed. 



a. Club composed of flat plates - Lamellicornes. 

 h. Club compact. 



1. Palpi longer than antennae - Palpicornes. 



2. Tarsi apparently 3-jointed - Pseudo-trimera 



3. Head prolonged into a snout - - - Rhynchophora. 



4. Head not forming a snout - Necrophaga. 



Sub-order I. Geodephaga, comprises the ground beetles, which are charac- 

 terized by having their legs formed for walking or running — never for 

 swimming. The joints of all the tarsi (feet) are five in number, of which 

 two or three of the anterior pair are generally dilated in the males. The 

 insects composing this group are nearly all carnivorous, as the tiger beetles 

 (Cicindelce), Carabi, &c. Some, however, are vegetarians, as Zabrns gilbus, 

 a noted corn feeder. They are chiefly nocturnal in their habits, hiding in 

 the day -time beneath stones and rubbish, in moss, beneath bark, &c. The 

 diurnal species are almost always bright coloured as the tiger beetles, 

 Maphri, Notiqp/iili, Amarce, &c. 



Sub-order II. Hydratjephaga have their hind legs fringed with hairs on 

 the inner side to fit them for swimming. The tarsi are 5-jointed; the 

 antennae filiform, except in the genus Gyrinus — the whirlwig beetle — 

 which has the antennae club-shaped at the extremity. These insects are all 

 carnivorous in their habits, in which they differ from the water beetles of 

 the following group. They occur all the year round in ponds and ditches, 

 often in great profusion in very small pools of water in exposed situations. 



Sub-order III. Palpicornes. — A very small group of beetles characterized 

 by having their palpi much longer than the antennas. The latter are 

 clubbed at the extremity ; the tarsi five-jointed ; and the legs often spiny. 

 Most of this group live in water, where they are very sluggish in their 

 habits, and where they feed on vegetable substances. The favourite beetle 

 for aquaria, Ifydrophilus piceus, is a good example of this group. Some 

 of its members, however, are terrestrial in their habits, such as Cercyon 

 and Sphceridium, which live in dung. 



Sub-order 1Y. Brachelytra. — This is the most extensive group of beetles 

 inhabiting temperate climates, the members of which are very easily distin- 

 guished by the elytra or wing covers being much shorter than the body, 

 rarely being half ike length of the latter. The antennae are generally fili- 

 form, and the tarsi are four or five-jointed. The beetles comprised in this 

 sub-order are generally known to collectors as " Staphs " (an abbreviation of 



