ENTOMOLOGICAL CAUlM'.T. 



CIMEX LECTULAUIUS. LinnL 

 Common Bed Bug. 



Of a red brown colour and without wings : antennae 

 composed of four joints, the basal joint very short, 

 the second thick and three times the length of the 

 first, the third and fourth very long and setacious. 



Length 3 to 3^ lines. 



Inhabits the houses in London and secretes itself 

 behind the paper of bedrooms, furniture, beds and 

 books. 



We have taken the liberty to quote from Mr. Kirby 

 the following curious anecdotes. 



"Though now too common and well known, in 

 this country it was formerly a rare insect. Had it 

 not, two noble ladies, mentioned by Mouffet, would 

 scarcely have been thrown into such an alarm by the 

 appearance of bug-bites upon them ; which, until 

 their fears were dispelled by their physician, who 

 happened also to be a naturalist, they considered as 

 nothing less than symptoms of the plague. Being 

 .shown the living cause of their fright, their fears 

 gave place to mirth and laughter. Commerce, with 

 many good things, has also introduced amongst us 

 many great evils, of which noxious insects form no 

 small part; and one of her worst presents were 

 doubtless the disgusting animals now before us. 

 They seem, indeed, as the above fact proves, to have 

 been productive of gi eater alarm at first than mis- 

 15-5 



