HEMIPTERA. 16i> 



Their body is usually altogether, or in part, membranous, and most 

 commonly much flattened *. They compose the greater part of the 

 primitive genus 



ACANTHIA, Fab., 

 Whicli that aiithor afterwards divided as follows : 



SvRTis, Fab. — Macrockphalus, Swed. Lat. — PHyjiAxA, Lat. 



Where the anterior legs resemble the monodactyle claw of the 

 Crustacea, and are used by these Insects to seize their prey f . 



TiNGis, Fab. 



Where the body is very flat, and the termination of the antennje 

 globuliform; the third joint is much longer than the others. 



Most of the species live on plants, jjiercing their leaves or flowers, 

 and sometimes producing false gall-nuts. The leaves of Pear-trees 

 are frequently riddled by one of this genus, the T.pijri, Fab. +. 



Aradus, Fab. 



Similar to Tingis, in the form of the body, but with cylindrical 

 antennye, of which the second joint is almost as large as the third, or 

 is even longer. 



They are found under the bark of trees, in the cracks of old 

 wood, &c. §. 



CiMEx, Lat. — AcANTHiA, Fab. 



In Cimex proper the body is very flat, but the antennae terminate 

 abruptly in the form of a seta. We know but too well the 



C. leclularius, L. ; Wolf, Cimic, IV, xii, 121. It is pretended 

 that this Insect, vulgarly termed the bed-bug, did not exist in 

 England previous to the fire of London in l(jc»6, and that it was 

 transported thithca- in timber from America. With respect to 

 the continent of Europe, however, we find that it is mentioned 

 by Dioscorides. It has also been asserted that this species some- 

 times acquires wings. It likewise harasses young pigeons, swal- 

 lows, &c. ; but that which lives on these latter birds appears to 

 me to be a different species. 



Various means of destroying these noxious Insects have been 

 proposed; extreme vigilance, and great cleanliness however are 

 the best. 



* These Insects, in our Fana. Nat. du R^g. Anim., form the second tribe of the 

 Geocorisse, that which I have there designated by the term memhraneuse. 



t Fab., Syst. Ryngot. In Microcephalus — S. manicata, Fab. — the autennoe, ter- 

 minated by a very large joint, arc not lodged in inferior cavities of the margin of the 

 thorax ; the scutellum is distinct, and covers a large part of the abdomen. In rhy- 

 mata, the antennae are received into peculiar cavities under the lateral edges of the 

 thorax, which is prolonged into a scutellum, aud only covers a portion of the abdo- 

 men. See Lat., Gen. Crust, et Insect, III, p. 137, 13y. 



X Fab., lb.; Lat., Gener. Crust, et Insect. 



§ Fab., lb. ; Lat., lb. 



