EXPLODING BEETLE. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Antenna setaceous. 
Thorax margined, and shaped like a heart with the point 
cut off. 
Abdomen oval, covered by margined wing-cases. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Carabus crepitans, c. thorace capite pedibusque ferrugineis, 
elytris nigris. Linn. Syst. Nat. Gmel. 1. 
p. 1971. 
The head, thorax, and feet, of a rusty 
brown colour ; wing-cases black. 
Carabus alatus ferrugineus, &c. Degeer 
Ins. 4. p. 103. no. 22. pi. 3. f. IS. 
Exploding Beetle. Scha?f. Icon. pi. 11. f. 13. Voet. Coleopt. 
pi. 36. f. 2 6. 
This insect possesses the very singular faculty of 
discharging a disagreeable vapour accompanied by a 
smart explosion, whenever it is provoked. It is 
enabled to repeat its noise several times in succes- 
sion, and may at any time be made to do so by 
scratching its back with a needle. It appears that 
the blueish smoke which issues from behind the 
u 2 
