BUGS 45 



the blood or sap, thus enabling the insect to take a 

 prolonged draft without difficulty. The rostrum being 

 a grooved sheath not a perfect tube we may assume 

 that capillary attraction is the chief agent in raising 

 the fluid to the mouth. There is reason for thinking 

 that at least some of the carnivorous species plunge 

 the whole proboscis into the tissues of their victims ; 

 but in plant-feeders the tip of the rostrum seems rarely, 

 if ever, to penetrate the surface. 



The head of an Hemipterous insect is usually 

 triangular in shape, while the slender antennae have 

 from three to eight joints. The pronotum, or dorsal 

 plate of the prothorax, is often markedly developed, in 

 some instances being the most arresting feature of the 

 whole insect. The order is divided into two sub- 

 orders. The first 1 includes about 430 British species, 

 all of which are unfortunately branded with the name 

 " bug " unfortunately, because many of them are 

 graceful and attractive insects, often prettily coloured. 

 It is true that the objectionable bed-bug 2 has a place 

 in their ranks, but its well-known parasitic proclivities 

 are exceptional. 



The fore-wing of a bug (the name cannot be dis- 

 carded) is usually more or less thickened and opaque 

 at the base, but the apical area is transparent, like 

 the hind-wing. When not in use, the wings are 

 folded over one another, and lie flat upon the insect's 

 back. A shield-like plate (the scutellum) is visible 

 between the bases of the wings. It is the dorsal 

 part, or mesonotum, of the second thoracic segment. 

 Moreover, in this sub-order the head is not bent 

 back beneath the body in such a way that its front 

 part touches the coxae of the fore-legs. Throughout 

 1 Termed Heteroptera. 2 Cimex lectularia. 



