THE BUGS. 299 



gvery moment growing larger, will soon appear to 

 be the wings of the fly unfolding by degrees. In 

 about a quarter of an hour the whole change is 

 completed, the fly is liberated, its wings are ex- 

 tended over its body, and the fine silver-like case of 

 the larva, with all its legs and other apparatus, will 

 be seen left behind. 



The perfect insect is of a brown colour, and has 

 on the upper wings two lateral whitish spots. It is 

 very common in meadows and pastures, and is so 

 agile that, when attempted to be caught, it will 

 sometimes spring to the distance of two or three 

 feet. 



THE BUGS. 



THE rostrum of the Cimices or Bugs is inflected 5 

 and the antennas are longer than the thorax. They 

 have tour wings folded cross-wise, the upper ones 

 coriaceous on the upper part. The back is flat, and 

 the legs are formed tor running. 



The larva differ from the perfect insects in little 

 else than the want of wings. Many of them infest 

 plants on which they live, and in which they lay 

 their eggs. Several of the species are voracious, and. 

 spare scarcely any other insects that they can con- 

 quer. They glut themselves with the blood of ani- 

 mals ; destroy caterpillars, flies, and even beetles, 

 the hardness of whose elytra would seem to be 

 proof against all their attacks 3 the incautious natu- 



