476 MODERN CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. 
gusting visitant must have been comparatively little known in the days of 
‘ood Queen Bess;’ that, although the word bug occurs five or six differ- 
ent times in Shakspeare’s plays, it is in every instance synonymous 
with bug-bear*, and does not designate this insect.” (Patterson’s 
Shakspeare Letters, p.59.) From an observation made by Dufour (Rech. 
Anat. Hemipt. g.11.p.59.) it does not appear that these insects are able 
to subsist a very long time without food, and that, in such case, they do 
not destroy one another (although De Geer states the contrary to be 
the case), that author having kept some full-sized specimens in a sealed 
bottle for more than a year without food. Various plans have been 
suggested for the destruction of these insects. (See Curtis, 569. and 
Buchoz, Hist. Ins. nuisibles, 2 vols., Paris, an vii.) I have known a 
house which had long stood empty, and yet swarmed with them, tho- 
roughly cleansed by fumigation with brimstone. 
The eggs of these insects are white, and of an oval form, slightly 
narrowed at one end, and terminated by a cap which breaks off when 
the young escape. The latter are very small, white, and transparent, 
so that the blood can easily be seen through the body in this state 
(fig. 121. 4.); they are of a different form from that of the mature 
insect, having a much broader head, and shorter and thicker antenne. 
(De Geer, Mém. tom. iii. pl. 17. f. 9-25.) They are eleven weeks 
in attaining their full size. For further details of the history of this 
insect, I must refer to the article Buc (Brit. Cycl. Nat. Hist. vol. i. 
p- 640.), in which I have given an account of the remarks of Southall, 
Oedmann, and Carlson, and to Griffith’s Animal Kingdom. 
Scopoli (Ent. Carniol. p. 354.), cited by Linneeus (Syst. WV. vol. ii. 
p- 715.), who, however, questions the statement, mentions the oc- 
currence of this insect with perfect wings. Fallen also (Hemipt. Succ. 
vol. i. p. 141.), and Latreille (/Zist. Nat. tom. xii. p. 255.), notice 
the report of its being found winged, but without being able to con- 
firm it. It has also been stated to occur winged in the East Indies ; but 
Burmeister (Mandb. vol. ii. p.253.) seems to question this. Schil- 
* Hence, in Matthews’s Bible, the passage in the Psalms /xci. 5.), “ Thou shalt 
not be afraid for the terror by night,” is rendered, “ Thou shalt not need be afraid 
of any bugs by night.” Mouffett, whose work was published in 1634, gives “ Wall- 
louse ” as the common English name of the insect, not even mentioning its modern 
name of bug, which evidently accounts for Shakspeare’s not noticing it under that 
name; although, had it been common, he surely would have done so under the 
name by which it was then known. 
