﻿These singular animals inhabit the water in every stage of 

 their existence, and it is said they prefer the deepest parts. 

 The female forces her eggs into the stem of a Scirpiis, or some 

 other aquatic plant, so that they are concealed ; and it is only 

 the two bristles which are attached to one end of them that 

 are visible. The plants containing the eggs are figured by 

 Geoffroy ; they are easily preserved in water, and may be kept 

 till the young hatch. 



The perfect insects leave the ponds and ditches they inhabit 

 in the evening, and may be found, I have heard, on their 

 borders amongst the mud, which they so much resemble in 

 colour, that unless they move it is almost impossible to detect 

 them. Like most other winged water insects they fly in the 

 night, and sometimes it is said to a considerable distance, in 

 search of places better suited to their habits in dry seasons, 

 when many ponds and small pieces of water are dried up ; as 

 their eggs in such instances would be destroyed. 



The Ranatra Imcaris, which is the only European species, 

 lives upon other water insects, which it holds between its 

 fore feet, whilst it pierces and sucks them with its beak or 

 rostrum. They are found from January to July, and also in 

 September, and most })robably all the year : they seem to be 

 generally distributed, and may be taken in most parts of the 

 neighbourhood of London. Mr. Samouelle mentions Epping 

 Forest, Copenhagen Fields, and Hammersmith ; INIr. Dono- 

 van, Ilford, Essex; Dr. Stephenson has captured them on 

 Wantlsworth Common ; and IMr. Flenry Atkinson near Prim- 

 rose-hill. They have been taken also in Norfolk and Suffolk ; 

 and I am indebted to Charles C. Babington, Escj. of St. John's 

 College, for very fine specimens taken near Cambridge last 

 spring. 



The plant is Ocntiana Pneumonanthe (Calathian Violet). 



