74 



REPORT OF 



No. 19 



I shall not attempt to give an orderly and systematic account of the 

 various species, belonging to these families, that have come in my way. 

 The space at my disposel in the report will ncjt admit of this. I shall tell, 

 in a desultory way, of some of the more remarkable and interesting of the 

 species, mentioning the family .to which each of them belongs. 



Fig. 19.— Giant Watcr-buj 



Fk;. 21.— a typical Bug. 



Fig. 20.— Ranatra quadridentata (greatly enlarged). Fig. 22.— Corimela^na atra 



First then, the Giant of the Bugs, far beyond all others of our bugs 

 in size and strength, is Belostoma Americanum, Leidy, (Fig. 19), belonging 

 to the BeJostomatidrc. This creature attains a length of nearly two and a 

 half inches, and an expanse of wings of four inches. Its hindmost pair of 

 legs are an inch and three-quarters long, and are used for propelling it 

 through the water. The colour of the insect is dark brown. In the breed- 

 ing season it occasionally leaves the water; and it is capable of long flights. 

 Its wings are true bug-wings, having the upper part horny, and the lower 



