The Elaphri so far resemble the Cicindelae in habit, that Lin- 
naeus included them in the latter genus ; and although the 
credit is due to Fabricius for having first characterized them, 
it is evident he considered them closely allied, from his having 
placed Elaphrus next to Cicindela in his different works. La- 
treille in this respect followed Fabricius, making Elaphrus lead 
off to Bembidium ; but in his latter works he has removed 
them nearly to the end of the Carabidse. Dejean has depart- 
ed altogether from the other arrangements, and has placed 
Elaphrus in the midst of the Carabidae and removed the Bem- 
bidia to the end of this family. We cannot but regret this 
change, because it also removes to an unnatural situation the 
genus Omophron, which seems ordained by Nature so per- 
fectly to connect the Carabidae with the Dyticidae. 
Our genus contains the three following British species. 
1. E. uliginosus Fab. 
There can be no doubt but this is the true E . uliginosus of 
Fabricius, since he describes the legs black, which although 
not strictly correct, because they are tinged with green and 
blue, renders it impossible to apply it to E. cupreus , in which 
the tibiae are ferruginous, the extremities only being black or 
green : from the latter it may also be distinguished by a larger 
and more orbicular thorax, the channel in the centre being 
much more shallow; and in our specimens the violet-coloured 
spots on the elytra were considerably smaller. This species 
is the more common one on the continent, but is by far the 
rarest in this country, having been detected I believe only in 
the neighbourhood of the metropolis. The specimen figured 
was taken by Mr. Ingpen the 18th of September 1824, out of 
the rotten stump of an old willow-tree, in a marshy place near 
Chelsea. 
2. E. cupreus Meg. — Dej. Spec. Col. 2. 271. 2. — riparius Oliv .? 
v.Z.t.l.f.l. 
This is our most common species, being found on the bor- 
ders of lakes and ponds throughout the kingdom, from April 
to August ; these insects run upon the mud, when the sun 
shines, with great rapidity, and are difficult to capture. 
3. E. riparius Linn. — Don. 9. 301. — Panz. 20. 1. 
This pretty species is to be seen from March to July run- 
ning by the edges of ponds, upon moist banks, and wet open 
spaces in woods. 
The plant is Cardamine pratensis { Common Ladies’ Smock). 
