140 Forty-third Report on the State Museum. [44] 



of the jDupa threw it off, but not into retreat. Its front legs were 

 slightly withdrawn, but still in position just above the writhing body, 

 in readiness to descend, as they did, with the same imperceptible move- 

 ment as before, as soon as the alarm of the attacked j)upa had subsided 

 into quiet. Again, the touch of the beak compelled a temporary with- 

 drawal, through the twisting of the abdominal pupal joints. Time and 

 again — perhaps fifty times — was this performance repeated during 

 the two hours, nearly, of the continuance of the contest, when it was 

 finally ended, not, as I had expected, by the burying of the long 

 beak securely within the body of its victim, but by the daintiest 

 insertion of its extreme tip (hardly more than a simple contact) in 

 one of the wing-covers, and the probable transmission of a poison that 

 speedily arrested further struggles. The richly-earned repast that 

 followed was an ample one, for in ten minutes the abdomen of the 

 bug had expanded into at least ten times its previous size. 



Stinging Power. 

 While the natural habits of these insects are not of an injurious 

 character, they may not with safety be taken into the hand. With 

 their robust and needle-pointed beak, they are capable of penetrating 

 the flesh and inflicting a painful and annojang wound. It is related 

 that the pain resulting, on one occasion, from a wound of this wheel- 

 bug could only be alleviated by repeated ammoniacal applications, 

 and that the subsequent sloughing off of the flesh a few days there- 

 after, left quite a cavity in the hand. 



The two larvse referred to as sole survivors of a large company, 

 were accidently killed a short time before they were in readiness for 

 their final molting. 



Its Predaceous Habits. 



The following communication received from Maryland relating to 

 Prionidus cristatus, gives some interesting particulars of its predaceous 

 habits, and of the appearance that the insect would present to the 

 general observer: 



We have been familiar for several years with a species of parasitic 

 insect that seems to prey specially upon the tent caterpillar, being so 

 voracious in its appetite that a very few of them will clean out quite 

 a large nest of these pests. I have not the name at hand, but it is well 

 known to naturalists, and is commonly called the "Devil's Horse." 



It has a black or dark body and legs, with a poverful ])&}lv of 

 mandibles for holding its x^rey, and an abdomen of an orange to a. 

 red color, standing out at an angle of 45° above the rest of the body. 



To-day I find a new insect, to me at least, eating these, or rather 

 sucking them out and leaving nothing but the dark frame and legs. 



