132 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



most triangular appendages, and with a dentate 

 appendage on each side very near the tip, which 

 bears two bristles. Antennae stout, 5-jointed ; sub- 

 setaceous, with a few bristles ; a little longer than 

 the head and prothorax together :— 1st joint sub- 

 clavate, almost as long as the three following joints 

 together: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th joints nearly equal 

 in length. 



"Prothorax thrice as broad as long, narrow in 

 front, sides slightly rounded; abdomen nearly twice 

 as broad as the prothorax, and about six times its 



Fig. 07. Elephant Parasite (Idolocoris elcphantis). 



length, composed of seven segments, all nearly 

 equal in length, except the 7th, which is very small. 

 Legs short, with a few bristles ; femora stout ; 

 tibiae shorter than the femora; tarsi terminated by 

 a single, long, slender, curved claw. 



" The insect on which this genus is established 

 has a very peculiar structure, and is the type of a 

 new family of Hemiptera Heteroptera; which 

 family may be placed next to the Acanthidae, the 

 latter being represented by the bed bug. But it 

 forms the extreme limit of the Hemiptera, and per- 

 haps links will be found to connect it with some of 

 the Eproboscideous Diptera." 



Idolocoris elephantis. — "Pemale. Testaceous; 

 sides of prothorax and abdomen with darker marks ; 

 tibiae with darker bands. Length, 1 line." 



On referring to the figure, it will be seen that this 

 parasite resembles the Pediculidse (sucking lice) in 



the structure and number of joints of the antennae, 

 in the number of segments of the abdomen, and in 

 the single claws terminating the tarsi. It differs 

 from the bugs in the antennae, in the unjointed and 

 produced rostrum, and in the single tarsal claws. 



The eggs, of which two are contained in the ab- 

 domen of the specimen figured, are at once unlike 

 those of the bugs and the Pediculidae, being simply 

 oval and inoperculate. The spines of the body and 

 extremities are also quite unlike the characteristic 

 spines of the true bugs. 



All the long, curved claws are finely 

 deutated on the inner edge with about four 

 points, and a long, straight spine, termi- 

 nating in a sharply recurved hook, is pre- 

 sent at the external base of the claws of 

 the two posterior pairs of legs. The eyes, 

 seen with a power of 2,000 diameters' 

 are simple (unfaceted) and transparent. 



The structure of the rostrum is very 

 complex, and with its reflected plates or 

 teeth, it somewhat resembles the central 

 organ of the trophi of Ixodes (Acarina). 

 Within the rostrum there appears to 

 lie loosely a fine tube, which extends from 

 the apex to the head of the animal, where 

 it enlarges into a bulb. This, without 

 doubt, is the canal by means of which the 

 nutriment is introduced ; while a secure 

 attachment is effected by the recurved 

 terminal teeth. When viewed binocularly, 

 the rostrum is found to be bent slightly 

 downwards. 



In every particular this strange little 

 insect appears to be exactly fitted for the 

 locality where it is stated to occur; and 

 any one familiar with insect and arach- 

 nidan parasites, would at once assign to 

 it, as a "happy hunting-ground," the softer 

 and less exposed folds of the thick skin of 

 some large quadruped. 

 The Rev. L. Jenyns describes ("Ann. et Mag. 

 Nat. Hist.," vol. iii. p. 241) three species of bugs, 

 parasitical on the common pigeon, the swallow, and 

 the pipistrelle bat ; which he names respectively 

 C. columbarius, C. hirundinis, and C.pipistrelli. These 

 insects belong evidently to the genus Cimex (Acau- 

 thia) ; and differ widely from the subject of the pre- 

 sent illustration. 



It is more than probable that many new and in- 

 teresting species of parasites would be found on ex- 

 amining with care the large naked- skinned animals 

 which are sometimes imported into this country, 

 and especially when they first arrive, as the treat- 

 ment to which they are subjected in confinement, 

 although admirable with respect to cleanliness, is 

 very often fatal to the researches of the most deter- 

 mined collector. 

 Kensington. H. C. Richtek. 



