938 
culus pulsatorius. It is very fre- 
quent, during the summer months, 
in houses, particularly where the 
wainscot is in any degree decayed, 
and is remarkable for causing a long- 
continued sound, exactly resembling 
the ticking of a watch, Itisa very 
common insect in collections of dried 
plants, &c. which it often injures 
greatly. It is of so tender a frame, 
as to be easily destroyed by the 
slightest pressure, and is an animal 
of very quick motion. When mag- 
nified, the head appears large ; the 
eyes remarkably conspicuous, of a 
most beautiful gold-colour, and 
divided, like those of most other 
insects, into innumerable hexagonal 
convexities; the antenne Jong and 
setaceous ; the palpi or feelers, two 
in number, of moderate length,and 
terminating in a large club-shaped 
tip; the thorax rather narrow, and 
the abdomen obtusely oval; the 
thighs or first joints of the legs 
thick, the remaining ones slender, 
and the feet furnished with very 
small claws; the whole animal is 
beset with small, scattered hairs. 
According to the observations of the 
celebrated Derham, this insect, at 
its first hatching from the egg, 
which is white, oval, and extremely 
small, bears a complete resemblance 
to a common mite, being furnished 
with eight legs, and beset with long 
hairs. After a certain time it casts 
its skin, and appearsin the very dif- 
ferent form above-described. Degeer 
observes, that in some specimens he 
has remarked appearances similar 
to the rudiments of wings on each 
side the thorax, and resembling a 
pair of oblong scales. From my 
own observations, I can affirm, with 
certainty, that some individuals of 
this species, become winged when 
arrived at their full growth: the 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1806. 
wings, which are four in number, - 
being very large, of a slightly iri- 
descent appearance, and variegated 
with blackish and brown clouds, or 
spots. Itis in the beginning of July. 
that this change takes place, and at 
this time several may be seen with 
the wings half grown; ina few days, 
they seem to obtain their full size. 
Mr. Derham imagines the ticking 
sound which these animals produce, 
to be analogous to the call of birds to 
their mates, during the breeding sea~ 
son ; there seems to be no reason for 
calling in question the truth of this 
observation. I may add, that this 
sound, as well as that produced by 
the ptinus fatedicus, or death-watch, 
seems to afford a convincing proof 
of the faculty of hearing in insects, 
which some naturalists have been 
inclined to deny. 
On the bark of trees, during the 
decline of summer, may be sometimes” 
observed a species of winged termes, 
extremely resembling the preceding, 
but larger, and of a greenish brown 
colour, with darker variegations ; 
and I am inclined to believe that 
several small species of this genus 
exist, which, from their general 
resemblance to each other, have been 
hitherto confounded. 
Of the exotic termites the most 
remarkable seems to be the termes 
bellicosus, whose history is so amply 
described by Mr. Smeathman, in the 
Philosophical Transactions. 
Of a great many curious parts of 
the creation I met with on ‘my 
travels, in that almost unknown dis- 
trict of Africa, called Guinea, the 
termites, which, by most travellers 
have been called white ants, seemed 
to me, on many accounts, most 
worthy of that exact and minute 
attention which I have bestowed 
upon them. 
The 
