THE bishop's MITKE. 557 



some of the predaceous species the end of the mandible is 

 spear-shaped, and the outer side of each spear-head is armed 

 with a row of extremely sharp teeth, not at all unlike those 

 of a shark. Indeed, I have in my ethnological collection a 

 Kiugsmill Island spear, which is armed along tlie side with 

 shark's teeth, and bears a singular resemblance to tlie mandible 

 of a Water-boatman, an insect whicli will be presently described. 



Unfortunately, very few of the Heteroptera possess popidar 

 names, so that I am compelled to use the scientific titles. 

 The name of the insect which is shown on Woodcut LXIII. is 

 Sehirus, or Cydnus dubius, and it belongs to the family 

 Cydnidae. It is a rather small, but decidedly handsome insect. 

 The general hue is deep violet-blue, so deep that it seems black 

 in a f^iint light, and the surface is finely punctured and 

 shining. The edges of the thorax and the elytra are marked 

 with a narrow line of yellow, from which circumstance it has 

 been named albo-Tnarg hiatus, or white-edged, by some ento- 

 mologists. If the insect be turned up, the under side of the 

 abdomen will be seen to be extremely convex. 



It is not a common insect, and seems to be local. It has 

 been taken at Portland and Pangbourne. 



Next comes the insect which is represented on Woodcut 

 LXIV. Fig. 1, an example of another family, the Asopidse. 

 Its name is Asopics luridus. 



Although not so brilliant as the insect which has just been 

 described, it is a pretty creature. Its colour is yellowish. 

 thickly punctured with black and rather shining. On the head 

 and sides of the thorax there is a deep blue gloss, which 

 occasionally changes to bronze. Below, it is yellowish, with 

 two distinct longitudinal rows of black spots. The female has 

 also a large black spot on the sixth segment of the abdomen. 



This species is not very common, but is wider spread than 

 the preceding insect, and may be found on trees. 



The whole group of insects to which this species belongs is 

 popularly known under the name of Bishops, or sometimes 

 Bishop's Mitres, on account of their form. They are much 

 and justly dreaded by fruit-growers, and this for two reasons. 

 In the first place, they greatly damage the fruit as soon as i-t 

 ripens, by sucking the juice ; and in the second place, many of 



