256 NATURAL HISTORY. [cH. XVIII 



plies a dwelling for an insect, and the only one ?ie 

 was acquainted with of its class which lives in 

 monstrosities analogous to galls. These insects, 

 which were in their pupa state, were supposed by 

 that naturalist to be transformed into cimicides. He 

 afterward carefully examined the plants when in 

 blossom, to see if any were materially swollen; in 

 all that he observed so, he constantly saw either the 

 pupa of the cimex or field-bug, or the cimex itself, 

 or at least the exuvia, when the insect had escaped. 

 The insect from its birth is nestled in the bud of the 

 flower, which it sucks with the rostrum with which 

 it is furnished. The flower thus sucked has more 

 nourishing liquid than those from which it has not 

 been extracted, it grows faster, but so that it cannot 

 open like them ; the lip which ought to disengage it- 

 self from within the calix formed by the others, is re- 

 tained there by its having acquired too much bulk. 

 The little pupa has consequently always a closed 

 dwelling. The cimex into which it changes is very 

 pretty ; it is of an ashy gray, produced by a mixture 

 of white and light brown. 



On the leaves of the shrub, which is called viom« 

 or viburnum, will be found flattened spongy galls of 

 a circular form ; they rise on each side of the leaf, 

 yet but little elevated above its surface; the centre 

 of both the top and bottom is marked by a small 

 nipple. One single leaf contained frequently forty 

 such galls, many of which Reaumur opened, and in 

 the interior of each found a white larva. He en- 

 deavoured to obtain the insect which these galls pro- 

 duced, by dissecting the stalks of several leaves 

 which were almost covered with them, in a small 

 vessel filled with water; this was placed upon a 

 sheet of white paper, spread upon a very flat table. 

 This arrangement admitted of the leaves remaining 

 fresh during the whole time the worms of these galls 

 required for their full development, and the insects^ 

 howsoever minute they might prove, could be read 



