BUGS. 401 



followed. Later on the black baby-bug had 

 patches of red and white spots, in two rows. 

 After each moult slight changes occurred in 

 colour. The black gave place to green, and the 

 spots were less marked and bright. At last wing- 

 pads appeared (Plate 52, Fig. 5), the head became 

 more pointed, and the spots disappeared. When 

 the adult stage was reached it was entirely green, 

 and it is hard for young students to believe that 

 the well-marked larv^ could develop into greeri 

 bugs. (Plate 52, Fig. 9.) 



Shield bugs are numerous in our scrub country 

 of the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. On 

 the beach, at high-water mark, at Bellinger Heads, 

 we saAV thousands of them. They had evidently 

 been driven seawards by the high winds and fierce 

 licat from the bush fires whicli were raging on the 

 coast. These bugs have two tiny glands on tlie 

 under surface of tlie body, from which the well- 

 known obnoxious-smelling fluid is excreted. One 

 of the shield bugs has proved useful in preying oi5 

 the larvag of the grape-vine moth (Phalaenoides). 



