upon the Genus Syrtis of Fubr ictus. 21 



the group, is the singular form of the fore legs, which are raptorial, 

 the femora being very large and nearly oval, or more properly 

 compresso-subtrigonate, having the anterior and lower part much 

 compressed, regularly curved, and armed with very minute and 

 numerous teeth forming a saw. Latreille describes this part as 

 channelled for the reception of the curved tibia, but this is not 

 the case. The tibiae which have a curve equivalent to the curve 

 of the femoral margin are very acute at the tips, and furnished 

 within with a series of minute teeth similar to those of the femora. 

 They are about half the length of the femora, extending to a 

 strong hook on the under margin of the latter. There is no 

 trace of a tarsus to be observed in the fore legs. Latreille, how- 

 ever, says the tarsi are minute and bent back upon the tibia, but 

 such is certainly not the case. The four hind legs are of the or- 

 dinary form, the tarsi being apparently only two-jointed, the basal 

 joint being exceedingly small. Latreille describes them as 3- 

 jointed, but Leon Dufour says they have only two joints. With 

 a high-powered lens the posterior tarsus in M. cimicoides exhibited 

 the appearance represented in PI. 2, fig. 4e. 



The basal joint or trochanter, as in all raptorial legs, is greatly 

 enlarged, so as to give additional motion to the leg. 



Of the natural affinities of these insects, Leon Dufour has ob- 

 served that their internal organization fully confirms the place 

 assigned to them by Latrielle between Mirus and Aradus. Their 

 general external structure is however much more analogous to the 

 latter than to the former group. 



The genus Phymata is distinguished by the more elongated 

 antennse, which are bent back during repose and rest within a 

 lateral groove of the thorax ; the scutellum is of small size, and 

 the membrane of the hemelytra is considerably reticulated. 



In the real type of this genus [P. crassipcs^, the antennae of the 

 male (fig. 2 a) are terminated by a cylindrical joint, thicker than 

 the three preceding and rather longer than the three conjointly ; 

 the female antennse, on the contrary (fig. 2 c), are terminated by 

 a more clavate joint, scarcely so long as the two preceding joints. 

 The peculiar character of the neuration of the hemelytra will be 

 seen in fig. 2 e, and of the extremity of the male abdomen in fig. 

 2 b, and of that of the female in fig. 2 d. 



In Phymata erosa [Discovierus crosus, Laporte), the male antennae 

 (fig. 3 a) are terminated by a slightly clavate joint, at least as 

 long as the preceding joints conjointly, whilst the last joint of the 

 female antennae is about the length of the two preceding joints 



