20 . f''""®' 
last compartment, which Berved the purpose of a pincushion, and was filled with 
bran. On the cover being withdrawn, the bran was removed in very minute 
quantities to a sheet of writing paper, each portion, when lightly spread by means 
of a feather, being closely examined under the lens. The only occupant of the box 
detected by this complete scrutiny was a living Atropos pulfatoria ; and I think the 
facts of the case fairly warrant the deduction that the ticking sound was produced 
by it, more especially as no such sound was ever after heard to emanate from 
the box. 
I may add that the Atropos, which was placed in a clean phial, died in the 
course of an hour without emitting any perceptible sound. Summer is the season 
in which the ticking sound is usually heard, but how it is produced I believe has 
not yet been discovered. — John Blackwall, Hendre House, Llani-wst, May AtJi, 1897. 
*#* I candidly admit that the above-cited instance is a case of veiry strong 
circumstantial evidence in favour of the power of Atropos (the insect should be 
called clhnnatoria, for it certainly is not the pulsatoria of Linne) to produce a sound, 
and I have just been informed of an exactly parallel case. Bnt I must still adhere 
to the opinion expressed at page 181 of Vol. iii., that a creature in which every 
portion of the body is of a soft consistence cannot possibly cause any perceptible 
ticking. Any noise produced by a minute apterous insect must of necessity be 
mechanical, either by the sudden contact of some hard part of its body with a like 
hard opposing surface, or by the action of one of its members, against another, and 
Atropos entirely wants any organism favourable to either of these actions. — 
R. McLachlan. 
True bugs. — In the Annals of Natural History for 1839, the Rev. Leonard 
Jenyns described a new species of AcantMa under the name of Cimex hirwidinis, 
specimens of which had been found in the nests of the common house-martin in 
Cambridgeshire. The only examples of this species I ever saw were in the collec- 
tion of the late Mr. John Curtis ; but as that collection was unfortunately exported 
to Australia when the " British Hemiptera " was in preparation, it was only possible 
to copy Mr. Jenyns' description. I am therefore desirous to obtain examples, and 
if any one who has opportunity of access to places where martins' nests abound 
would do me the favour to look for the creatures, and, if obtained, send some to 
me alive, I should be greatly obliged. It may not be necessary to disturb the 
nests, for Mr. Curtis informed me that at Tunbridge Wells, where his specimens 
were taken, the bugs were also found about the house in the vicinity of the nests. 
The species is held by continental authors to be a myth, but, though convinced by 
the sight of Mr. Curtis' specimens that it is an entity, I wish to place the subject 
beyond a doubt. I am aware that it is a delicate matter to hint to a non-ento- 
mologist that there may be a bug about his country-house, and there might be a 
balcony-scene not illustrated in any edition of Shakespeare, if it were discovered that 
such a Romeo had obtained access to Juliet's window without even the pretence of 
a ladder ; indeed I know that one gentleman felt grossly insulted by the suspicion 
that there could be a bug on his premises. Nevertheless, I venture to prefer my 
petition that the vagrants may be looked for before "the swallows homeward fly;" 
and, if found, apprehended and committed to my custody. I think it is also possible 
that the same, or possibly another species, might be discovered to be attached to 
