4 J. J. WRIGHT ON THE HARVEST BUG. 



eggs there, nor does it undergo any further development, as in 

 the case of the itch insect for example, and some other parasites. 

 If the Harvest Bug were allowed to remain undisturbed on the 

 human skin, which, however, is to suppose almost an impossibility, 

 I imagine it would pierce the skin with its lancets, protrude its 

 proboscis into the opening, and quietly suck the fluids required for 

 its nutrition until it underwent a further development, becoming 

 possibly a true tick. 



The above remarks are not intended as anything like a complete 

 history of the Harvest Bug ; but they are designed to direct atten- 

 tion chiefly to the structure and supposed burrowing habits of the 

 insect. There are many points in its history and development 

 which are altogether unknown, and which I could have wished to 

 investigate, had not the state of my health precluded the possibility of 

 further observations. Hitherto, in the books which I have consulted, 

 I have not seen either a good description, or a correct plate of the 

 Harvest Bug. The subject may possibly have sufficient interest to 

 engage the attention of some of the members of this Society. 



Malton, Sept. 6, 1869. 



Dr. Braithwaite objected to the name " Trombidium " being 

 applied to this insect, that being the generic name of the common 

 red earth mite, which he believed to be a totally distinct creature. 

 He suggested " Leptis " as being more correct, and pointed out that 

 the six legs of the Harvest Bug do not of necessity indicate it to be 

 a larval condition, degradation of type being found in all classes. 



Mr. M. C. Cooke said that he thought a figure of this creature 

 would be found in Koch's " Arachniden," and in Kuchenmeister's 

 "Parasites." He could not agree with Dr. Braithwaite that there 

 was any evidence of its being a perfect insect. It was agreed by 

 most zoologists that although we do not know anything of a further 

 development, that its manifest affinities are with the larval forms of 

 Acarina, and that it doubtless belongs to the section Trombididas, 

 which, in the larval form, have six legs. There is a species of 

 Hydraclina found adhering to the legs of certain Tipulce, and also 

 those of Dragon-flies whilst in the hexapod state ; but when these 

 take upon themselves the octopod condition they are purely aquatic. 



