74 THE REPORT OF THE [1» 



With the assistance of Mr. Moffatt and the Society's collection, the 

 insect though somewhat damaged, was identified as a specimen of Sinea 

 diadema, Fab., which ie the same as Sinea midtispinosa, Am. and Serv. 

 and Beduvius raptatorius, Say, who figures it in his " Entomology " 

 (Le Conte's edition, vol. 1, plate 31 ; description p. 72, and vol. n , p. 

 249). It is a true bug of the order Hemiptera and family Reduviidae, 

 called " Assassin bugs " by Prof. Comstock from their habit of preying 

 upon other insects. (Fig. 30.) 



Fig. 30 Th e specimen before us is a long narrow insect, dull brown in colour • 



the head is very long in proportion to the body, and much narrower, 

 with a series of spines above ; there are also numerous short blunt spines on the thorax, 

 and a double series of sharp spines on the underside of the front pair of legs ; the beak, 

 with which it punctures its victims and sucks their blood, is long, three- jointed, and when 

 not in use bent under the head, its tip resting in a groove between the fore-legs ; these 

 legs are very long, and adapted for seizirg and holding its prey. 



This Reduvius is a well-known insect, and is usually classed among the beneficial 

 species from its habit of preying upon other insects, for the moBt part of an injurious 

 character. It requires to be carefully handled, however, as it is quite ready to defend 

 itself and inflict painful stings with its beak. Mr. J. Alston Moflat relates that on one 

 occasion, some years ago, he captured a specimen, and held it between his finger and 

 thumb, while with the other hand he searched for a pin. During the interval the bug 

 took the opportunity of doing what it could in its own defence. Throwing its head well 

 back it released its beak from the socket, and then forced it into Mr. Moffat's finger ; not 

 content with one puncture, it continued to draw back its head, and then force the beak 

 down again into the wound, causing intense pain, until its human victim was able to get 

 rid of it. He says that it was the severest sting he ever experienced during his many 

 years of collecting ; the pain extended up his arm, which became swollen to the elbow, 

 and continued to be painful all night, while the wound on the finger did not disappear 

 for several weeks. It is not likely that the insect injects any poison through its beak, as 

 is done by the fang of a venomous serpent, but probably there remains adhering to it 

 some of the juices of its previous victim — grub, caterpillar or what not — which have become 

 decomposed, and thus poisonous to the blood. In this way we may account for the fatal 

 effects of the puncture in the case of the child at Udora. As this is a rare, if not a 

 unique, instance, the public generally need not feel any uneasiness regarding the so-called 

 " kissing bug," and may rest assured that they are not liable to any new attacks upon 

 their persons by venomous insects of a novel and malignant kind. 



Dr. Fletcher said that the scratch of a pin has been known to induce blood-poisoning 

 under certain circumstances, and it might well be that this bug's bite would only be 

 serious after it had been feeding on some decomposed animal matter. Some years ago it 

 was reported that a man was stung by an insect when working in nightsoil, and died 

 from blood-poisoning shortly afterwards. 



Mr. Moffat understood that the use of poison by insects was for the purpose of 

 Btupefying their pr< y so that they might feed in safety. He had observed these insects in 

 contest with flies as large as a bumblebee, which could not be controlled unless stupefied. 



Prof. Webster said that the bite of one Hemipteron, Melanolestes picipes, was very 

 severe. He had experienced it once from a bug that he held in his hand, and was not 

 likely to forget it, the pain was so great. 



Dr. Bethune mentioned that Dr. Cowdry, one of the original members of the 

 Society, told him that many years ago in England he had been hastily summoned to 

 attend a brewer's carter, who had been stung on the lip by a large hornet. The patient 



