ENTOMOLOGICAL CABINET. 



ACANTHOSOMA PICTA. Newman's MSS. 



This genus was first proposed by Mr. John Curtis, 

 in the fifth number of his elegant and accurate 

 " Illustrations of British Entomology," in his ob- 

 servations on the species of Pentatoma : and, the cha- 

 racters of this separate genus, with dissections of the 

 parts, were given in plate 28 of the same volume. — 

 " In Mr.ViGOKs's cabinet is a species which belongs to 

 this last division, (Acanthosoma) received from Dr. 

 Leach, with the name of P. picta. It agrees tolerably 

 well with the description in Fabricius ; but I believe, 

 that Dr. L. was not satisfied of its authenticity as a 

 British species." It may appear strange that this 

 species should exist in Mr. Vigors's Cabinet, and not 

 in that of Dr. Leach ; but this is easily explained : 

 about twenty years ago, an exchange took place be- 

 tween Mr. Wilkins and Dr. L. and as each was an- 

 xious to complete certain groups of insects, it was 

 agreed that they should give up to one another, the re- 

 quired desiderata, and Dr. L. presented Mr. Wilkins 

 with the whole of his collection of the order Hemiptera. 

 It is somewhat singular, that Mr. Newman should 

 have given the name of picta to this newly discovered 

 insect, and without the knowledge of the above fact, 

 as we believe it to be the same species ; but we re- 

 gret we have not had an opportunity of comparing 

 them. The following is the specific character of the 

 insect now figured. — Head and thorax of a dirty 



