122 COLEOPTERA. 
first arrives at its perfect state, the ely- 
tra are almost transparent, and beauti- 
fully varied with bright, changeable shades 
of dun colour and green ; they afterwards 
become thicker, and turn to a dull 
olive. 
Lucy, It looks so terrific, that I 
should be almost afraid to catch one of 
them. 
Mother. They pinch violently with 
their jaws ; and they have, besides, a 
strong spine placed under the thorax, and 
pointing backwards, with which they 
contrive to wound severely. 
Lucy, Is the perfect dytiscus as ra- 
venous as the larva ? 
Mother. Quite as much so ; it de- 
vours every sort of water insect, not ex- 
cepting its own larva. 
I will now proceed to the genus cara- 
bus, which contains a great many species ; 
but I shall only mention one, the crepi- 
tans*, or, more commonly, the homhar- 
dier, 
* Crackling. 
