1899] ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 73 



Prof. Webster said that it was remarkable that this insect, the twelve-spotted 

 beetle, should have overtaken C. asparagi, which started for the east on its march across 

 the country many years earlier, both being emigrants from Europe. He had observed 

 that insects of this kind spread more rapidly westward south of the lakes than farther 

 north The asparagus beetle had been found in south west Michigan by Mr. Pettit, but 

 he had not been able to trace it west of Sandusky in Ohio. The twelve spotted species 

 had reached Buffalo. He mentioned also the almost total disappearance of the Harlequin 

 Cabbage Bug (Strachia histrionica) in Ohio this year. Last year it was very abundant 

 but its numbers had apparently been greatly reduced by the severe winter. 



FATAL BITE OF AN INSECT. 



By Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, London. 



During the past summer paragraphs appeared repeatedly in newspapers all over 

 North America giving alarming accounts of the attacks of some marvellous insect upon 

 the human person. The creature was called " the Kissing Bug " in consequence of its 

 alleged habit of biting or stinging the lips of its sleeping victim and causing very painful 

 if not fatal results. Much distress was caused among timid and nervous people and every 

 unfamiliar insect, especially if large or ugly, was regarded as a specimen of the dreaded 

 creature. Specimens of perfectly harmless insects (a Cicada for instance,) were sent to 

 the writer from various parts of Ontario with the expectation that they were veritable 

 " kissing bugs " and he was enabled to allay these groundless fears in several quarters. 

 Every entomologist had a similar experience and a list of the insects sent in on the sup- 

 position that they were representatives of the foe would be a long and amusing one. 



On the first of September the following paragraph appeared in some Toronto papers 

 and was speedily copied by a number of newspapers throughout Ontario : 



"Kissing Bug's Bite Fatal — Uxbridge, Aug. 31. — Roy Stevenson, the four-year- 

 old son of Mr. George Stevenson, carpenter, of Udora, was bitten on the calf of the leg 

 by a kissing bug on Thursday last. Dr. McDermott was called, but despite his best 

 efforts blood-poisoning set in and the child died last night." 



Here at last was a definite case with locality, names and date. I accordingly wrote 

 to Dr. McDermott, whose address is Sunderland, Ont., asking whether the statements in 

 the paragraph were correct, and if so, for a loan of the specimen in order that it might 

 be identified. He very kindly replied as follows : " I will pack and send the insect as 

 requested for identification. The boy died five days after being bitten. The part bitten 

 was very painful from the first and the symptoms all through his illness were those of 

 profound blood-poisoning. The little fellow was in good health when bitten and killed 

 the insect immediately after it stung or bit him. Hi3 mother kept it rolled up in paper 

 and gave it to me. It was bruised and damaged badly ; you will notice that the legs are 

 broken and most of them gone and one wing is in the bottom of the box. It was over 

 five-eighths of an inch in length but has dried and shrunk greatly. I may say the case is 

 clear against the insect, whatever it is, as its bite was the direct cause of the boy's 

 death." Some days later the doctor sent me the specimen and added : " We have not 

 pronounced it ' the Kissing Bug,' and do not know what it is. It bit the boy under the 

 left knee and the leg became very painful and swollen. He died from profound blood- 

 poison'ng on the fifth day. He was in good health previously." 



