224 
Observations on the various Insects 
most zealous naturalist, Mr. Marshall Fisher of Ely. The insect 
alluded to belongs to the Order Coleoptera, the Family 
CARABin.E, and the Genus Carabus of Linnaeus, but it has been 
designated by a new generic name by Megerle, and is now called 
13. Steropus madidus, Fab. (fig. 45,) from its inhabiting wet 
and damp localities. It is shining black ; the legs are often red ; 
head oval, forming a neck behind : the eyes are not large, but 
prominent and hemispherical ; the mouth is complete, and fur- 
nished with two pair of longish jointed palpi of a chesnut colour, 
and two large curved and acute jaws;* antennae not longer than 
the thorax, tapering, the apex sometimes of an orange colour ; tho- 
rax broader than the head, somewhat obovate, concave before, 
truncated at the base, the angles rounded, with a large fovea on 
each, marked with two short longitudinal channels, and a sharp 
indented dorsal furrow ; the entire surface is delicately striated 
with transverse wavy lines, which are onlv visible under a ma^ni- 
fier ; the scutel is short and broad ; the elytra are convex and sol- 
dered together, and consequently both sexes are destitute of 
wings : their form is oval, narrowed at the base, each having nine 
deep striae, the first furcate next the scutel, the eighth impressed 
with strong punctures, the costal edge a little emarginated on 
each side towards the tip : legs strong; thighs stout; anterior tibiae 
the thickest, with a notch on the inside producing a sj)ine, and 
another at the apex: the others are spiny with bristles, and ter- 
minated by a pair of moveable spurs; the tarsi are five-jointed, 
and furnished with two sharp claws: in the male the first pair of 
feet are dilated and cushioned beneath, the three basal joints 
being broad and heart shaped, the fourth similar but minute; 
length 7 lines, breadth 2^. 
S. madidus is a very active insect : it prowls about at night, and 
is admirably adapted to its predaceous mode of life. The free 
moiion of its neck and thorax gives it an advantage over most 
insects of its own size, and its strong legs are furnished with spurs 
and spines which enable it to stand firmly, and resist the efforts of 
any individual endeavouring to escape from its grasp. The sen- 
sitive horns are in constant motion : with its long palpi it embraces 
its viciim, wliilst it tears it in pieces with its sliarp and powerful 
jaws. When touched, these beetles eject a terriijiy fetid and dirty 
fluid fiom the mouih. wliich is probably a defence ngainst the 
more powerful and kindred species. To show the usefulness of 
this insect I cannot do better than give Mr. Fisher's own state- 
ment of the facts which came under liis observation. He says — 
" My broihcr Henry seeing a field which had been sown with 
oats much injured, ])ulled up several plants and found numerous 
Wireworms at the roots of each ; he put them into a box with 
* Curtis's Brit. Ent., pi. 171 for dissections, &c. 
