168 ORDER HETEROPTERA. 



enumerates only three species. The insect lives upon other small animals, which it can 

 capture, and never upon the juices of plants : it is not known how it provides for its 

 security during winter. It moves upon the water by a kind of rowing motion, but without 

 immersing its feet. 



Reduviidae. 



One of the obvious characters of this family is the constriction behind the head, which 

 makes it appear to be prolonged or extended behind into a narrow neck. The eyes are each 

 accompanisd by a single ocellus. The antennae are sometimes prolonged and slender ; in 

 other cases, short. The thorax is often armed with a lateral spine. The legs are long, and 

 the forelegs rather stouter and raptorial : tarsi three, and sometimes quite minute. 



Redxivius . ( Plate vii, fig. 3.) 



Basal joint very short ; second joint longer than the head and neck, two-thirds as long as 

 the whole organ ; fourth longest, slender : proboscis as long as the head and neck, 

 stout : tarsi three-jointed ; joints minute. Body elongated, narrow : thorax armed 

 with two lateral spines, and in front transversely ridged : wings large : legs long 

 and hairy. 



Reduvius . ( Plate xxix, fig. 8.) 



Color brown. Body elongated, oval or dilated behind : humerus dilated and banded, and 



forelegs raptorial : eyes prominent : thorax faintly striped longltxidinally : abdomen 



ovate ; its edges spotted with red, brown and white, the brown oblong spots occupying 



the greater part of the margin : legs brown. 



This species is rather common upon low bushes during the month of September, in the 



vicinity of Albany. 



Hammatocerus purcis. ( Plate xxx, fig. 6.) 



CiMEX PURCIS (Drnry). Reditvius myathemerus (Illiger). 

 Head, eyes, thorax, abdomen, and legs black : antennse setaceous, with numerous joints : 

 scutellum large, triangular, black ; corium white, terminal membrane black : wings 

 white and transparent : edges of the abdomen marked with scarlet spots : rostrum 

 black and short : thighs of the hindlegs scarlet ( Drury, Vol. iii, pi. xlv, f. 4). 

 This is not an uncommon species : it is frequently met with in autumn upon plants 

 growing in shady places. 



