HEMIPTERA. 



pressed, is forced into the internal canal, and thus arrives at the oesophagus. 

 The sheath of this apparatus is at these times frequently bent into an angle, or 

 hecomes geniculate. These insects, like other Suctoria, are furnished with 

 salivary vessels. 



In most of the insects which compose this order, the elytra are coriaceous or 

 crustaceous, the posterior extremity being membranous and forming a sort of 

 an appendage to them ; they almost' always decussate ; those of the other 

 Hemiptera are simply thicker and larger than the wings, semi-membranous> 

 like the elytra of the Orthoptera, and sometimes opaque and coloured, some- 

 times transparent and veined. There are a few longitudinal plicae in the 

 wings. 



Several have ocelli, of which, however, there are frequently but two. 



The Hemiptera exhibit the same forms and habits in their three states. The 

 only change they experience consists in the development and growth of the 

 volume of the body. 



I divide this order into two sections. 



In the first, that of the HETEROPTERA, Lat., the rostrum arises from the 

 front; the elytra are membranous at the extremity, and the first segment of 

 the trunk, much larger than the others, alone forms the thorax. The elytra 

 and wings are always horizontal or slightly inclined. This section is composed 

 of two families. 



FAMILY I. 



GEOCORISjE. 



IN this family the antennae are exposed, longer than the head, and inserted 

 between the eyes, near their internal margin. There are three joints in the 

 tarsi, the first of which is sometimes very short. 



It forms the genus 



CIMEX, LinncBus. 



This genus (an example of which may be found in our common Sqitash-bug) 

 is now divided into forty or more subgenera. We all know but too well that 

 of CIMEX proper. 



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

 in the form of a seta. 



C. lectularius, Lin. It is pretended that this insect, vulgarly termed the 

 Bed-bug, did not exist in England previous to the fire of London in 1666, and 

 that it was transported thither 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 sometimes acquires wings. It like- 

 wise harasses young pigeons, swallows, &c.; but that which lives on these 

 latter birds appears to me to be a different species. 



