THE BED-BUG. 197 



joints of bed-steads, cracks in walls, under loose wall-paper, 

 but especially near iron, be this an old nail in the wall or the 

 hooks that are used to fasten the bedstead together. These 

 eggs are very beautiful objects; they are terminated by acap, 

 which is removed by the escaping young bugs. These latter 



Fig. 160. — Mouth-part of bed-bug. Greatl3' enlarged. Original. 



possess the color of innocence, being white and almost trans- 

 parent; they look, in shape, very much like the old ones, and 

 are only a little broader in comparison, and have stouter 

 feelers. As soon as they can attack a victim they become 

 round and resemble a minute globule of blood. Imbibing 

 blood whenever they have an opportunity they quickly grow, 

 and after moulting several times they reach their adult and 

 sexually mature condition. The organ by means of which 



Fig. 161. — Eggs of bed-bugs found in swallow-nest. Greatly en- 

 larged. Original. 



they obtain blood, is a sucking-tube or haustellum. (Fig. 

 160.) This is composed of two half cylindrical side-pieces, 

 analogous with the labium and labial-palpi, and enclosed in 

 this tube are four sharp and pointed lancets, the transformed 

 mandibles and maxillary palpi. 



The female deposits eggs during the ^warmer season four 

 times, and about fifty at a time. In Minnesota these bugs have 

 only one annual generation, yet judging fi-om their numbers 

 in certain, not first-class, hotels not hundreds of miles dis- 



