THE C ARAB ID H. 
299 
The most ferocious insects of the order of the Coleoptera are 
the Carabidce , and they are essentially carnivorous, being fur- 
nished with powerful offensive weapons in the form of cutting 
mandibles, and being able to run very rapidly. Their bodies are 
almost always elongated in form ; the antennae are long and cylin- 
drical, like threads, and the legs are admirably adapted for run- 
ning, but not particularly so for climbing over leaves. But it is 
the conformation of the jaws that furnishes the most remarkable 
characteristic of the family. The mouth-pieces have two palpi, 
the external lobe of the jaw being fashioned into a true palp, 
which is divided into two or three joints, as is the case in the 
Dytiscidce , which are aquatic carnivorous beetles. This character 
is not found in other families, and thus becomes important. 
The males have the front tarsi enlarged, and they hold the females 
by them when they do not wish to dispense with their company. 
The larvae of these Coleoptera are as carnivorous as the adults, 
and most of them hunt their prey and run it down, so they are 
encased in more or less solid armour, the head and the segments 
of the thorax and abdomen being clothed with coriaceous inte- 
guments. Their mandibles, which are arched like sickles, have 
a large tooth at their base, and in some species there are other 
long and sharp teeth, which give these structures a very terrible 
appearance. Their bi-lobed jaws have a single palp of four joints ; 
their legs, which are long, usually end in a tarsus, which consists 
of two joints; and the end of the abdomen is generally furnished 
with two jointed appendages and a tubercle, which enable them 
to walk. 
There are two principal forms or types in this family. The 
Carabidce and the Cicindelidce , and the genus Carabus is an 
example of the first. They are for the most part large, bril- 
liantly coloured beetles ; and their peculiar shaped heads, their 
long legs, and their beautifully armoured bodies not only are 
very elegant, but give them a fierce aspect. They are usually 
found concealed under stones or amongst moss at the foot of 
trees ; and the common Carabus auratus is constantly seen 
running about the roads and fields in search of prey.. It destroys 
a great number of insects, which do much mischief to agricul- 
ture, but of course country people crush them whenever they 
