ORDER II.—BUGS. 81 
the express condition of suffering them to enjoy their feast 
without molestation.” 
. O stulta sanctitas, O sancta stultitia ! 
The Squash-bug (Coreus tristis). 
This insect, which conceals itself during the winter in 
the crevices of houses, walls, and the bark 
of trees, makes its appearance in the open 
air as soon as warm weather commences, 
and takes up its abode, for the most part, 
upon or under the leaves of squashes, 
pumpkins, and other plants of the Gourd 
tribe. It is also often seen upon the po- 
tato vine and other herbaceous plants, and 
toward the middle of summer it fastens its 
egos, with a gummy substance, upon the under sides of the 
leaves of these plants. These eggs are soon hatched, and 
the young, in company with the old ones, proceed to suck 
with their reflected snout the sap of those leaves and stems, 
often causing the whole vine to wither and perish. 
The young ones, which are quite as voracious as their 
Figure 20. 

The Squash-bug. 
parents, are furnished with wings in the autumn, and as 
soon as the inclemency of the weather and the want of 
food obliges them to do so, they fly away to take possession 
of their winter-quarters, in the holes of walls, or the crey- 
ices of houses and the bark of trees. 
These insects emit an odor, when touched or mashed, 
very similar to that of the Bed-bug, and the wound they 
inflict with their horny snout is fully as inflamed and 
painful. 
There is no better remedy to prevent the injuries done 
by these insects than to examine the squash and pumpkin 
vines every day and destroy them; for, to use the argu- 
ment adduced in favor of capital punishment, if they are 
D2 
