158 
NEPA. 
is a very frequent inhabitant of stagnant waters* 
in our own country, measuring about an inch in 
length, and appearing, when the wings are closed, 
entirely of a dull brown colour; but, when the 
wings are expanded, the body appears of a bright 
red colour above, with a black longitudinal band 
down the middle: and the lower wings, which are 
of a fine transparent white, are decorated with 
red veins: from the tail proceeds a tubular bifid 
process or style, nearly of the length of the body, 
and which appears single on a general view, the 
two valves of which it consists being generally 
applied close to each other throughout their whole 
length. The animal is of slow motion, and is 
often found creeping about the shallow parts of 
ponds, &c. In the month of May it deposits its 
eggs on the soft surface of the mud at the bottom 
of the water: they are of a singular shape, reseiur 
bling some of the crowned seeds, having an oval 
body, and an upper part surrounded by seven 
radiating processes or curved spines: the young, 
when first hatched, are not more than the eighth 
of an inch in length. The Water-Scorpion flies 
only by night, when it wanders about the fields 
in the neighbourhood of its native waters. The 
larvae and pupae differ in appearance from the 
complete insect in having only the rudiments of 
wings, and being of a paler or yellower colour. 
Nepa cimicoides of Linnaeps differs materially 
from the preceding species, and has, at first view, 
more the aspect of a Notonecta than a Nepa, the 
