HUNGERFORD: AQUATIC HEMIPTERA. 235 
water boatmen have any herbivorous habits. He believes, how- 
ever, that the posthumous paper of H. Rathke, 1861, sent in 
by his pupil H. Hagen, and dealing with notes on Hydrometra 
lacustris and Naucoris cimicoides, treats really of a Corixid 
and not an Naucorid. In spite of the fact that Kirkaldy, who 
must have had a good knowledge of German, for he wrote 
one large paper in that language, quotes from these “Studien 
Zur Entwicklungsgeschichte der Insekten” in his account of 
the life history of a Naucorid, the writer cannot accept the 
account as dealing with a Naucorid at all. The description of 
the eggs certainly applies to Corixid eggs, not to any Naucorid 
eggs the writer has ever seen described. Let the reader ex- 
amine the drawings of the eggs of the Corixids on plate XXV, 
and then read carefully the following: 
“Hier, eines Insektes (Nawcoris cimicoides). Es waren dieselben 
einzeln, doch mit unter in ziemlich grosser Zahl in der Nahe von einander 
an die untere Seite der Blatter von Polygonum amphibium angeheftet. 
Sie hatten eine Lange von %4’” und beinahe die Form einer Citrone nur 
waren sie ein klein wenig langer und gingen an dem einenende in 
einen sekr kurzen, aber auch sehr dicken Stiel iiber, auf dem sie angehftet 
waren, so dass sie mit der achse auf dem Blatte senkrecht standen Die 
Eischale war bedeutend dick, entweder rein weiss oder weiss mit einer 
Beimschlung von Lehmforbe, fast ganz undurchsichtig, starr und hart, 
so dass ich in ihr Kalk vermuthete. . . .” 
The eggs were lemon shaped. They were perpendicular to 
the support. The description fits the egg of some Corixids, but 
not of Naucorids. The notes go on to state that the eyes 
turned carmine red, that the head of the embryo lies always 
on the free end and comes out first, ete. Having concluded 
that Rathke must have been watching a young Corixid, the 
following note is indeed of interest here: 
“Die Jungen schwammen sehr schnell, waren uberhaupt sehr beweg- 
lich und frassen, obgleich sie einen kurzen Riissel hatten, zerbrockelte 
und zergangene Conferven und Pristleysche Materian, wodurch ihr gan- 
zer Dormkanal unrein grtine Farbung erhielt.” 
The larve ate the Conferva until the intestine was green! 
Now it may be that Nancorids do the same, though the writer 
is taking the liberty to transfer this note to the place where 
he thinks it belongs, and to credit to this scientist the first and 
only note on the herbivorous tendency of a water bug. As be- 
fore stated, all the others have classed Corixids as carnivorous. 
Thomas, 1871, gives the account of Coriza ovivara West., 
