ELECTRIC LIGHT BUGS—GIANT WATER BUGs. 19 
respiratory tube projecting upwards, just a little outside the 
surface of the water. At such times it rests motionless for in- 
tervals of an hour or more, but at other times it searches for 
the eggs of pond fish, which it destroys by drawing out their 
contents ; and it occasionally attacks the young fish of other kinds, 
grasping them with its curved fore-claws and sucking their 
blood.” 
FAMILY BELOSTOMATIDAE. 
(Electric-light Bugs; Giant Water-bugs). 
Since the introduction of the electric light in so many vil- 
lages, nearly all within easy reach of rivers, creeks or lakes, these 
bugs have become very well known, and large numbers attracted 
to the light and unable to leave its dangerous allurements are 
killed by passing persons or vehicles. And this is a very good 
thing, for these rapacious creatures feed on small fish and on 
insects. Especially in the tropics are such’ giants very formid- 
able monsters; they lurk at the muddy bottoms of shallow pools, 
ever ready to grasp the unwary fish in the deadly embrace of their 
sharp-hooked fore-legs, where it remains until all the blood has 
been absorbed. Some of these bugs measure four inches in 
length. 
“The Family Belostomatide contains the largest Heterop- 
tera now in existence. They are all wide and flat bodied aquatic 
insects of more or less ovate outline, furnished with powerful 
flattened swimming legs; the fore-tibiz are curved as in the pre- 
ceding family, and fitted for seizing and holding tightly the vic- 
tims upon which they pounce from their hiding places in the 
rubbish, or among the branches of water-plants. A remarkable 
feature of all the genera is the presence of a pair of flattened, 
narrow, strap-like appendages at the end of the body, which are 
extensile, but not concerned with respiration, as in members of 
the fore-going group.” (Uhler.) 
We have in Minnesota three species of bugs belonging to 
this family. Two are very large insects, one of which is shown 
