VELIIDJE. 571 



Abdomen above, flat ; beneath convex ; the 6th segment longest, 

 its posterior margin very concave ; Connexivum deep, vertical, on the 

 6th segment produced into a long, triangular, sharp point. Genital 

 segments in the <, above and beneath 2 are visible; above, the 1st 

 transverse, quadrangular, its posterior margin beyond or in a line 

 with the points of the connexivum ; the 2nd at the base as wide as 

 the 1st, posteriorly rounded ; beneath, the 1st short, prolonged at 

 the sides ; the 2nd long convex, rounded posteriorly : in the $ 

 above, only 1 is visible, not reaching quite so far as the points of the 

 connexivum ; beneath, 2 are visible ; the 1st posteriorly rounded, 

 reaching almost as far as the points of the connexivum ; the 2nd, 

 vertical and with a slight middle keel, fills up the opening at the end 

 of the 1st, but does not project. 



The insects of this genus live gregariously on the surface of water, 

 where, as Schuminel observes, they look like spiders, and they move 

 rapidly about by little leaps. 



Species 1. VELIA CURRENS. 



GERRIS CURRENS, Fab. E. S. iv, 193, 22 (1794). 



HYDROMETRA CTJRRENS, Fab. S. R. 259, 12 (1803) ; Fall. Hem. Suec. i, 



160, 2 (1829). 



RIVULORUM, Wolff, Ic. Citn. 201, 195, t. 20, fig. 195 (1811). 



VALIA CURRENS, lat. Gen. iii, 133, 2 (1807) ; Curt. B. E. i, 2, 1 (1824) ; 



Schum. Beitr. 2, 19, t. 1, fig. 8, t. 2, figs. 1, 2 (1 832) ; 



L. Duf. Recli. 73, t. 5, fig/65 (1833) ; H. Schf. Norn. 



Eat. 62 (1835); Burm. Handb. ii, 212, 1 (1835); 



Am. et Serv; Hem. 420, 2 (1843) ; //. Schf. Wanz. ix, 



76, 77 (1850); Flor, Rhyii. Liv. i, 746, 1 (1860); 



Fieb. Enrop. Hem. 105, 2 (1861). 

 VELIA RIVULORUM, Curt. B. E. 1, 2, 2, pi. 2 (1824). 



Usually apterous ; dull. Head; antenna and legs black ; pronotum 

 reddish-brown, with 2 large, white, glossy spots behind the 

 anterior angles, the undercurved side-margins and below them, 

 orange. Elytra as long as the abdomen, brown-black, with 4 

 clear white spots, 2 at the base and 2 in the middle posteriorly. 

 Abdomen above black, with a white spot at the sides of each seg- 

 ment ; beneath orange, with a broad black line of spots on each 

 side ; connexivum orange, with a triangular black spot on the 

 posterior margin of each segment, 



