498 THE BED-BUG. 



attain their full strength and perfection, being of a dark brown color, 

 with four finely variegated transparent wings. 



Shortly after they have attained their perfect state, these insect* 

 always spread themselves over the country for many miles round. 

 They are excessively voracious, and do infinite damage, in their 

 periodical swarmings, to both orchard and forest trees: and were it 

 not for the number and variety of their enemies, and the naturally 

 short duration of their lives, the inhabitants would often suffer from 

 them all the horrors of famine. 



OF THE CIMECES, OR BUGS IN GENERAL. 



THE rostrum or beak of the Cimeces or Bugs is inflected ; and the 

 antennae are longer than the thorax. These insects have four wings, 

 folded cross-wise, the upper ones coriaceous on the upper part. The 

 back is flat, and the legs are formed for running. 



The larvcR differ from the perfect insects in little else than the want 

 of wings. Many of them infest plants, on which they live, and on 

 which they lay their eggs. Several of the species are voracious, and 

 spare scarcely any other insects that they can conquer. They glut 

 themselves with the blood of animals ; destroy caterpillars, flies, and 

 even beetles, the hardness of whose elytra would seem to be proof 

 against all their attacks ; the incautious naturalist may also himself 

 sometimes experience the severity of their nature. 



THE BED-BUG. 



The Bed-bug, which is a nauseous and troublesome inhabitant of 

 most of the houses in large towns, is singular in having neither wings 

 nor wing-cases. It runs about with considerable activity in the night, 

 to suck the blood of persons that are asleep, hiding itself by day in 

 crevices and other retired places. 



Their most favorite food is blood, dried paste, size, deal, beech, 

 osier, and some other kinds of timber, the sap of which they suck ; 

 and on any of these they are able to exist. They will not feed on oak, 

 walnut, cedar, or mahogany ; for several pairs, which, for the sake of 

 experiment, were confined with these kinds of wood, soon died, whilst 

 those kept with the others continued to live through the whole year. 



The female generally lays about fifty eggs at a time. These are 

 white, and, when protruded, are covered with a viscous matter, which, 

 afterwards hardening, sticks them firmly to the place where they are 

 deposited. These eggs are usually hatched in about three weeks. 

 The general times of laying are March, May, July, and September: 

 so that from every female Bug that out-lives the season, as many aa 

 two hundred young-ones may be produced. Thus is the excessive 

 increase of these nauseous animals to be accounted for, where proper 

 care is not taken to destroy them. 



