114 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



ignored. A good-sized water-beetle {Dj/tiscus sp.) shared the 

 aquarium for about a week before it fell a victim. 



Every fresh example of Amorgins tliat I have exarnined has 

 been infested by a peculiar elongate parasitic Acarid, which 

 attaches itself in clusters to various parts of the body and limbs 

 of its host. 



On October 26th I observed two egg-clusters at the bottom of 

 the nquarium, presumably deposited by the Amorgius. The 

 smaller cluster contained nine eggs ; the larger cluster over fifty. 



Amorgius indicds —Fig. 1. Egg-cluster, nat. size. 

 Fig. 2. Single egg x 4^ diam. 



They were somewhat in the form of a bunch of grapes (fig. 1), 

 the e"<ys cohering together by some fibro-gelatinous matter, the 

 clusters, unattached to any object, lying loosely on the earth at 

 the bottom of the vessel. Each egg is pyriform, 5-50 x 3 mm., 

 the larger end outwards, and slightly flattened on one side 

 (fi». 2). They are of a pale greenish yellow colour, with alter- 

 nate opaque and translucent lines radiating from the centre of 

 the larger extremity, and extending about one-third the length 

 of the egg, except on the flattened area. These eggs were 

 removed to a smaller aquarium with growing plants, but became 

 discoloured after a few days, and are apparently dead. Possibly 

 they were unfertilized.* Another batch of eggs was deposited on 

 the 6th November, which have been left to take their chance in 

 the larger aquarium. To prevent the escape of the adult insects 

 the vessel is covered with perforated zinc. 



Since writing the above, I have detected one of the bugs in 

 the act of feeding upon its own eggs. It was holding the egg- 

 cluster in its front legs and probing the separate eggs, one after 

 another. 



DisPHiNCTUS FORMOSUs, Kirkaldy. 



This species is, just now, abundant on plants of Cuphea 

 joridlens'is in the Botanic Gardens. The young shoots are badly 

 punctured and wilted, and the plants completely disfigured, the 

 damage being done chiefly by the immature insects. The adults 



=:= For an account of the ova of the allied American Benacus grisea (Say) 

 and Amorgius impreasa (Haldem.) [^americaita, auctt.] see C. M. Weed 

 in Bull. Ohio, Agricult. Exper. Sta., Technic. Series, vol. i. pp. 14-17, PI. ii. 

 figs. 6 and 7 (1889).— G. W. K. 



