1U4 



Quincy. It was not seen in the water, but this was doubtless due 

 to some peculiarity in its habits. For some reason it is never 

 brought out in the seines and dredges in parts of the State in 

 which the numbers taken at electric lights show it to be very 

 common. Our small species of this family (ZaUha fiuminea) 

 often comes out in the seines by dozens. 



Family Nepid^. (AV/teb Scorpions.) 



Rancvtra 4-dentata, Stal. 



(Stal, Ofv. Vetensk.-Akad., Forhandl., 1861, 204; Uhler, Stand. 

 Nat. Hist., ii, 255.) 



A long, slender, bj-own bug with two long caudal stylets. 

 Length about 1.48 inch. Legs long and slender, the front pair 

 suited to grasping. It is very slow of motion and creeps about 

 on the bottom or on plants, depending on its resemblance to a 

 piece of dead vegetation for securing the animals upon which it 

 preys, and for avoiding its enemies. It is said to puncture 

 and destroy the eggs of fishes. Its own eggs are elongated and 

 are provided with two long filaments at one end. 



Family NoTONECTiDiE. (Water Boatmen.) 



Notonecta undulafa, Say. 



(Heteropterous Hemiptera, 1831, 89; Compl. Writ, i, 368.) 



A small strongly convex insect about .40 inch long, which 

 swims back downward by oar-like movement of its elongated and 

 flattened hind legs. Eyes red-brown. Color pearly white, and 

 black. An active predaceous insect, capable of inflicting a severe 

 sting with its beak when handled incautiously. The eggs, which 

 are elongated, cylindrical, and white, are attached to aquatic plants. 

 The young have been observed to emerge in May. 



Taken in Quincy on Cedar Creek. 



Plea striola, Fieber. 



(Uhler, Stand. Nat. Hist., ii, 253.) 



A minute, brown, hard-bodied species which is quite common in 

 many streams in Illinois. 



Taken only in Willow Slough. Not common. 



Family Corisid.^;. 



Corisa signaia, Fieber. 



(Abhandl. Kon. Bohm. Gesell. Wiss., 1852, 233.) 



This small species was extremely abundant in the temporary 

 pools, especially so in Wood Slough. 



