17 



a fully developed membrane, and the under or posterior wings are 

 complete ; and the undeveloped or " brachypterous," where the 

 membrane is abbreviated or absent, and the posterior wings in- 

 complete or rudimentary. The form of the pronotum also varies 

 correlatively with this development, being wider, as a rule, posteriorly 

 in macropterous examples. Some species are rarely met with in the 

 macropterous state, and the brachypterous representatives of some 

 bear considerable superficial resemblance to some of the brach- 

 elytrous Coleoptera. In such cases the suctorial mouth may be 

 relied upon to distinguish the Hemipteron. 



I thinjk, however, that after a very short training a bug will 

 offer attractions to the eye (and nose too, in many cases), which 

 will at once indicate the order it belongs to. May I also remind 

 you that all bugs are not flat ? Many are very convex, and many 

 are delicate creatures, which one can hardly secure without damaging 

 their slender legs and antennae. 



It is frequently difficult to distinguish the larval and nymph 

 forms of a bug from the brachypterous imago. If, however, the 

 wing-cases are examined, they will be found in the early stages to 

 be enclosed in a membranous sac, and not free, as they are in 

 the imago ; also the claws in the larva are as a rule imperfect, 

 and the whole integument is of a softer nature. 



A collector of Hemiptera need not burden himself with any 

 large amount of impedimenta ; a bag net, a canvas water-net, a 

 white umbrella, a sheet of white mackintosh, a killing bottle, and 

 a digger are about all his necessary weapons. 



As the frame for a net I prefer an ordinary steel folding 

 landing-net ring, with a universal screw, such as is obtainable at a 

 fishing-tackle maker's shop. On this should be fitted a bag of coarse 

 unbleached linen. It is well to avoid jute fabrics, as they certainly 

 do not bear the same amount of hard work as those made of flax. 

 Round the mouth of the bag a wide hem of some very strong material 

 should be attached, into which the ring of the net can run. The 

 material I use for this purpose is what is called " webbing." A very 

 few days' hard sweeping in hedges, &c., will wear through any hem 

 made of brown hoUand or ordinary linen, as it must be borne in mind 

 that this hem bears the full brunt of the work. The ring should be 

 screwed into an iron or steel ferrule (avoid a brass one, as it soon 

 wears out), which should be fixed on to a strong oak stick, so that 

 the whole apparatus is fairly heavy and capable of brushing well 

 into bushes, &c. One sees people occasionally sweeping with a cane- 

 ringed net, or one with a thin wire ring ; but with a light implement 

 of this sort only very superficial work is possible. Some collectors 

 prefer the large open nets which have the stick passing right through 

 the ring. There is one advantage in these, viz. that they can be used 

 both for sweeping and beating, so that both a net and an umbrella 

 need not be carried ; but, on the other hand, the circle is so large 

 that frequently there is a difficulty in sweeping under hedges with 



2 



