418 INSECTS ABROAD. 



said to possess so venomous a sting that a person who was stung 

 Ly one of these insects became insensible in a few minutes, and 

 very nearly lost his life. 



So unlike are the males and females of these insects, that the 

 two sexes have more than once been catalogued not only as 

 different species, but as belonging to different genera. 



The accompanying illustration represents a species from Bahia, 

 bearing the specific name of cerhera, in allusion to the legendary 

 dog which guarded the portals of Hades. As may be seen by 

 the figure, it bears a curious resemblance to our well-known 





Fig. 209.— Mutilla cerViera. 

 (Black and white.) 



liunting spider. Its colours are very simple, being only black 

 and white — the latter being of a peculiar dull, dead character 

 that is very difficult to express. The insect looks indeed as if 

 it had been originally black, and that a pattern had been drawn 

 on it with white paint. It is thickly covered with hair, as is 

 the case with most of the Mutillas, though in this species the 

 hair is not so long as in ma\iy others. 



The really fine insect called Mutilla occidenfalis belongs to 

 North America. 



This is a very hairy species, and is most splendidly coloured 



