Pentatomide. a7 
Wimbledon Common; Mickleham, Chilworth under 
Junipers, Netherfield amongst Calluna, Battle amongst 
Mentha hirsuta, Dallington Forest, H. A. Butler; Ventuor 
on Inll side amongst grass ; Headley Lane, Horsley Surrey, 
Billups ; Devon, Parfitt; Glanvilles Wootton, J. C. Dale ; 
Chatham, Canterbury, Higham Kent, Woking, Champion ; 
Swansea, Blatch ; Ambleside, Land’s End, C. VW. Dale. 
ACANTHOSOMINA. 
ACANTHOSOMA. 
As in Pentatoma I have included under this genus what 
the Continental authorities refer to three different genera ; 
these I have treated as sub-genera, feeline that in our 
limited fauna it is better, unless the generic distinctions 
are very strong, to restrict the number of genera as much 
as one reasonably can—the two-jointed tarsi will at once 
distinguish this genus from all the other British genera of 
the Pentatomidx, the strongly-developed vertical plate of 
the mesosternum and the carinated abdomen, with the 
long spine on its second segment, are also characteristic of 
the genus. The care shown by the female parent of 
A. grisewm for its young has been pointed out by De Geer, 
and verified comparatively recently by the late Rev. J. 
Hellins of Exeter, who, in the “ Entomologist’s Monthly 
Magazine,” vol. vii. p. 53, and vol. xi. p. 42, gives interest- 
ing accounts of his observations. He observed a female 
laying eggs on the underside of a birch leaf, about the 6th 
June ; she laid about thirty to forty eggs in a diamond- 
shaped batch; under the microscope an egg appeared 
“long in shape, twice as long as wide, plump, a little 
depressed on the sides, reticulated all over very faintly, 
somewhat glossy, and in colour pale whitish-green.” The 
mother took her stand over these eges, but Mr. Hellins did 
not think that her body touched them. On the 29th June 
