1 32 [June, 



long, subcampanulate j^rothoi-ax, the six rows of coarse punctures on the 

 elytra exterior to the sutural stria, the anteriorly produced, cuneifonn 

 mesosternuni, etc. ; the J has two teeth on the uaetasternum between 

 the i)osterior coxae, and the intermediate and posterior tibiae very 

 strongly curved. The two genera are each represented by a single 

 species in the European fauna, the type of Scaphhau Kirby, being the 

 N. American S. castanipes of the same author. S. immaculatum occurs 

 in France, German}-, Austria, Algeria, etc., and it is said to be found in 

 fungi and under dead leaves in the autumn. Good figures of the insect 

 have been given by Jacquelin Duval and Reitter, and a crude one by 

 Olivier. I am indebted to Mr. Champion for the name of the species, 

 and for giving me the above particulars as to its distribution, etc.* 



oth Royal Fusiliers, Kinpfstou-on-Thame^. 

 May 9th, 1918. 



OX THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE HEMIPTERA-HETEEOPTERA 



AND VEGETATION. 

 BY E. A. BUTLEE, B.A., B.Sc, F.E.S. 



Almost all Hemipterous insects have, in one way or other, a very 

 close connexion with the vegetable world. It is true that many species are 

 carnivorous and do not derive their sustenance directly fi'om plants ; but, 

 even in such cases, there is commonly a plant-association, sometimes, 

 probably, because the plant supports other living creatm'es, — insects, 

 Ai-achnida, etc. — upon which the bug feeds, sometimes because it pro- 

 vides shelter, or a resting-place during hibernation, and sometimes that 

 the plant may furnish a nidus for the eggs, even though the insect itself 

 is not vegetarian. This last association is seen in such water-bugs as 

 Nepa and Ranatra, which lay their eggs in leaves of Alisma ; amongst 

 the Reduviidae, too, Dr. Chapman has found the eggs of a species of 

 I^ahis, probably AT. lativentris, in the stems of Chlora perfoliata, and 

 I have eggs of Coranus stchapferus deposited in captivity on Calluna. 



In this paper I propose to confine my remarks to British members 

 of the suborder Heteroptem, and I do this chiefly because I have lately 

 been occupied in gathering information as to the plants that are known 

 to be in any way connected with this particular group of insects, with a 

 view to systematize and tabulate our knowledge under this head. This 

 investigation has revealed a remarkable and hitherto unsuspected con- 

 trast in their attitude to certain divisions of the vegetable kingdom. To 



* ThfTf is a good i specimen of S. imiiiucultduin, on au unmistakably "English" pin, in the 

 llope-Westwood collection of lintish Coleopleru in ilie Oxford University Museum. Unfortunately, 

 beyond the label " Coll. Hope," it bears no record of its history. — J. J. W. 



