PREDACEOUS GROUND-BEETLES. 
41 
A. Epimera of the mesothorax wide and reaching the middle coxae; cpimera of 
the metathorax indistinct. 
B. Anterior tibiae quite or almost without notch on their inner side, and never 
toothed on the outer side, both of their spurs at or near the extremity : 
. Carabides. 
B B. Anterior tibia} with a notch on the inner side, near the end, and toothed 
on the outer side ; one of the spurs at the end and the other above the 
notch ; abdomen pedunculated ; size extremely various ; color black : 
Scarfmdes. 
A A. Epimera of the mesothorax narrow, and not reaching the middle coxa; ; epim- 
era of the metathorax distinct; anterior tibiae always notched, with one spur 
at the apex and the other above the notch ; abdomen sessile. 
C. Elytra truncated at the extremity, leaving the tip of the abdomen exposed ; 
thorax more or less heart-shaped, and much narrower than the abdomen ; 
tarsi not at all or but slightly dilated; claws often pectinate; color 
usually blue, green, or variegated, rarely brown or blackish, never pure 
Brachinides. 
C C. Elytra entire, covering the whole of the abdomen ; anterior tarsi of the ' 
males generally dilated; claws very rarely pectinate ; colors various, 
mostly black. 
D. Last joint of the palpi as wide, at least, as the others; size various, often 
small, but rarely very small. 
E. Anterior tarsi of the males with the three first joints much widened, 
and covered beneath with a dense brush of hair-like papilla;; body 
often hairy or pubescent; colors usually green or blue-black, some- 
times, but rarely, pure black Chi^sniides. 
E E. Anterior and frequently also the middle tarsi, with the four or three, 
or rarely two first joints dilated, and usually furnished beneath 
with two rows of scale-like papillae, or more rarely with a brush of 
hairs; body usually smooth and shining; colors mostly black 
or metallic Harpaliues. 
D D. Last joint of palpi very small ; anterior tarsi of males usually with 
the first joint much dilated, and the second much less so, and scaly 
beneath; size small, usually very small Bembidiides. 
The parts called epimera , made use of in the above table, will be un- 
derstood by referring to Fig. 3, on page 27, where they are indicated 
by stars, as explained in the text. In section A, the epimerou of the 
mesothorax (indicated by two stars in the figure) is wide and somewhat 
triangular, and its inner extremity reaches the middle coxa, or rather 
forms a part of the wall or outline of the coxal cavity. But in section 
A A, (to which the species represented in the figure belongs) this epiin- 
eron is very narrow, and its inner extremity does not reach the coxal 
cavity, but impinges upon the anterior angle of the metasternum.* 
It is not necessary, however, that the reader shall study out these 
parts. The several sub-families are sufficiently characterized without 
* This is best, represented, but still imperfectly, on the right hand side of the figure. The inner ex- 
tremity of the epimeron should have been represented as touohiug the motusteruiuu, not nt its apex, 
but a little behind it. 
—6 
