120 NATURAL ARRANGEMENT OF INSECTS. 



appearance of a crescent, whence one species has heen 

 named lunatus. The prettiest species we possess, in this 

 country, of the family, is the Corizm Hyoscyami, which 

 is not uncommon ; it is of a brilliant vermilion, spotted 

 with black. We may also notice here the very slender 

 and elongated form of Berytus Fab. (Neides Latr.), of 

 which the B. Tipularius is frequently found in our 

 fields, and the delicate antennas of which are acutely an- 

 gulated at the apex of the basal joint. By means of 

 this form, the transition is easily made to the third family, 

 the Lygai, which consists of elongated insects. As in 

 the preceding families (with but two or three excep- 

 tions, viz. in Pyrrhocoris, Largus, and Mycrophysd), we 

 observe the usual ocelli, found, with rare exceptions, 

 and the total exclusion of one family, the Capsini, 

 throughout the heteropterous Hemiptera. This family, 

 compared with the former, is of very limited extent, and 

 the insects are generally much smaller. The very beau- 

 tiful I,ygceus equestris is a British insect, although ex- 

 tremely rare, for we believe only two specimens have 

 yet been discovered, one of which we are lucky enough 

 to possess : it is about six lines long ; of a brilliant 

 vermilion colour, varied with black, and having a limpid 

 white spot in the centre of the junction of the hemely- 

 tra. Pyrrhocoris apterus (also a British insect) is grega- 

 rious, and offers an uncommon anomaly in frequently 

 existing only in a wingless state, but exercising, even 

 thus, all the functions of the imago. Its apterous con- 

 dition must not, therefore, lead us rashly to conclude 

 that it is an imperfect insect; it may have, and evidently, 

 from the results, has, undergone all the completing in- 

 ternal developements, which from some cause, not yet 

 understood, have been thwarted in their external exhi- 

 bition. This circumstance, however, is not peculiar to 

 this insect only among the Hemiptera,, and we observe 

 it in the orthopterous portion of our Neuroptera. In 

 the Hemiptera, it displays itself in Myrmus miriformis, 

 and Actorus popularum Fab. of the preceding family ; 

 and we shall find it again occurring in the Redumidce. 



