236 THE WOODLANDS. 



We have seen these insects in woods and forests on 

 the Continent in much larger numbers than in our 

 own islands ; except, indeed, some aquatic species, 

 they would seem to be rather rare with us. The 

 Hemipterous insects, as they are termed, have four 

 wings, two of which form hard coverings, with mem- 

 branous ends, and m the mouth-organs are formed of 

 bristles, which compose a sucker, inclosed in an arti- 

 culated sheath, forming a projecting beak. 



These might appropriately be called sucking 

 insects; and those who divide and group them for 

 scientific purposes, recognise the Bugs viz., House 

 Bugs, Tree Bugs, and Water Bugs as one family ; 

 the noisy Cicadas, or Harvest-flies, as another ; then 

 the Frog-hoppers, the Plant Lice (Aphides), and 

 "Scale insects, as other families. Tree Bugs, or rather 

 Plant Bugs, for they are not confined to trees, are 

 insects of a retiring habit ; hence they are seldom seen 

 except when sought after. They are often very 

 angularly-shaped insects, and, as we should say of 

 individuals, broad in the shoulders, so that it is 

 often easy to recognize a plant bug at a glance. 

 Sometimes a number will congregate together in 

 the cracks of the bark of trees, and may be easily 

 caught ; others must be sought in flowers. The 

 majority of species are predacious, feeding upon 

 other insects, sucking out their juices ; but some few 

 perform the same operation on plants. 



Any one who has taken up a United States 

 journal, even of a popular science character, will 

 have observed that many insects are called " Bugs " 

 which have no right or title to the name. Thus 



