Nepide. 207 
the anal tubes, are the short triangular three-jointed 
rostrum, three-jointed antennz, the second joint of which 
is produced into a lateral process, and the single-jointed, 
clawless, curved, anterior tarsi; intermediate and posterior 
legs ambulatory, with one-jointed tarsi terminating in 
two nearly parallel claws. 
NEPA, Linn. 
Flat, broad, widest behind the centre of the elytra. 
Head small, not half so wide as the pronotum in front, 
sunk up to the eyes in a deep emargination of the anterior 
margin; pronotum with the sides nearly straight ; scutellum 
large, pointed; elytra with a membrane which however 
has no distinct suture; anal tubes about as long as the 
elytra; anterior coxee short and very thick, femora 
thickened, tibiz, when folded back, fitting into a groove in 
their anterior margin. There are only two Paleearctic 
species, of which we have one. Dr, Puton mentions that 
the eggs are provided with seven filaments which inthe 
ovary embrace the preceding egg. 
N. cinerea, Linn.—Dull ochreous brown, femora with 
darker mottling ; surface of pronotum somewhat rugose, of 
the elytra subreticulate ; abdomen above, red at the sides; 
other characters as given under the generic heading. 
L. 18-20 mm. ; fil. about 11 mm. 
Common in mud at the bottom of ponds, etc., and 
generally distributed. 
RANATRA, Fab. 
Very elongate, subcylindrical. Head wider than the 
pronotum in front, eyes very prominent; pronotum more 
than twice as long as wide, base deeply and angularly 
emarginate; scutellum diamond-shaped; elytra not quite 
so long as the abdomen, membrane distinct and divided 
by a suture from the corium; filaments very long, longer 
