OllDKR II. BUGS. 63 



senses, with internal and external faculties, and constituted 

 them equally essential parts in the vast economy of Nature. 



Bugs are easily distinguished from other insects by hav 

 ing, instead of a mouth, a prolongated horny proboscis, or 

 snout, in which are two pairs of bristles which they insert 

 into the animal or vegetable body, from which they derive 

 their nourishment by pumping out its juices. This pro 

 boscis is articulated to the head, and when in operation has 

 a perpendicular, but when not in use, a horizontal position, 

 being attached to the under part of the breast. Their head 

 is usually small, and has two short feelers (antenna} ; their 

 breast larger than the head, and the hind body is short and 

 wide. All the insects of this Order, the Bed-bugs and fe 

 male Plant-lice excepted, have four wings, which are erect 

 ed, as in the Cicada, known under the name of Locust, or 

 folded up, as in the Squash-bug (Coreus tristis). 



Bugs do not metamorphose themselves into Caterpillars, 

 like Butterflies ; or into grubs, like the May Beetles ; or 

 into maggots, like Bees and Flies. They make no cocoons 

 or chrysalis, but they burst from their eggs in an almost 

 perfect condition that is to say, with six legs and a pro 

 boscis, but without wings. The Cicadas form the only ex 

 ception to this natural rule, and probably live in a larva 

 state more than two years in the ground. 



These insects feed mostly on the juices of plants ; but 

 some of them pump out the circulating fluid of insects, and 

 even the blood of warm-blooded animals, on account of 

 which they become very annoying and troublesome to man. 

 Some of this order also give out a peculiarly unpleasant 

 odor when mashed, an odor that is often perceived in the 

 mouth when eating raspberries, blackberries, or any other 

 berries, and which is occasioned by masticating with the 

 fruit the eggs which these insects have deposited upon it, 

 and which are not easily detected by the sight. I once 

 heard a country woman consoling her little boy, who com- 



