ately longer legs and antenna\ These make their escape from the egg- 

 shell through a little round hole cut out of one end, as shown at b. In 

 this period of its existence/ which is known as the fii-st n.ymph stage 

 (see tig. o, a), the insect lives in colonies, at first remaining close to- 

 gether upon the leaf near where the eggs were laid, hut later congregat- 

 ing about the bases of the leaf-stalks or hiding, together with individuals 

 of the more advanced stages and the parent insect, under nearby clods 

 or rubbish, or in any convenient retreat, and coming forth toward dusk 

 in search of food. 



The nymphs cast their- skins five times before reaching the mature 

 condition, increasing their growth after each molt. Three days after 

 hatching, the nymph having attained a larger size molts and assumes 

 the second stage, which is illustrated at h. In this stage it lives eight 

 or nine days before under- 

 going the next molt. The 

 third stage, illustrated at c, 

 requires seven to eight, and 

 the fourth six da3^s. The 

 fifth stage, shown at e, is 

 passed in eight days, when 

 the fifth and final molt takes 

 place and the insect app(!ars 

 as a full-sized bug. In its 

 last stage the insect contin- 

 ues to feed, but with the dis- 

 appearance of its food sup- 

 ply, caused bj' the dying or 

 clearing away of the crop on 

 which it has fed, it seeks 

 shelter in any convenient 

 rubbish, under boards or stones, old vines or similar vegetation, or under 

 tlie loose bark on dead trees, or in cracks of barns and outhouses, and 

 here passes the winter. Hibernation in the I)istri(;t of Columbia, where 

 the periods above mentioned have been observed by the writer, begins 

 some time in .Septembei'. 



Fi(i. : 

 seci 

 staffo 

 tioii). 



. — AiKisn lri.\ti.<i iiyniiplis: a. newly hatched; b, 

 lid statre : <•, tliird stiiKe: </, fourth stase: <>. fifth 

 0— all about twice natural size (author's illustra- 



NATITRAL KNEiMJKS. 



The disgusting odor of tliis insect, as well as its habit of remaining 

 hidden during the dny in various places of concealment, serves doubt- 

 less in a great measure to protect it against rapacious birds and some 

 soi'ts of insects. Nevertheless it falls a victim to certain parasitic (;ne- 

 mies, among which a, Tachinid lly,"-^ whicb ;ipi)cars at al)out the same 

 time as its host, deposits its eggs ui)on and (lcvt']oi)s witliin the living 

 body of the adult insect, is the most abundant :iiid c()nsi)icuous. it is 

 also parasitized l)y small Chalcidid Hies, one spe(;ies of which has been 

 recorded by Miss M. E. Murtfeldt to have destroyed as many as 80 i)er 

 cent of its host. Three chalcidid ])arasites of the eggs of this insect are 

 also known.'' The bugs themselves ai'e rciported sometimes to develo)) 



'In the District of Colniiibia the bugs have been observed to appear lirst 

 about the second week in June. 



- Trichopoihi peiinipes Vnh. 



•^ Hadroiiofiis (iiinsir A^\\i\\.; (hiciicyrtus ((iifistc Ashui., and Kupelmiis reilKvii 

 How. 



