128 ME. T. J. BOLD ON LOCAL HOMOPTEBA, 



X. — List of a few Local Somoptera. By Thomas John Boll. 



Hating from time to time taken such Homopterous insects as 

 appeared strange, and having recently acquired names, I am 

 induced, by the novelty of the subject, to lay them before the 

 Club. It must however be borne in mind, that this list is a very 

 imperfect one, as I have only taken things which almost forced 

 themselves into notice, neglecting nearly altogether the small 

 species, such as Eupteryx, amongst which I hope hereafter to 

 reap a rich harvest. 



Some of my readers will perhaps say, but what are Homopter- 

 ous insects ? Well, they are little jumping things (the frogs, I 

 think, they must be, of the insect- world), which in their perfect 

 state are commonly called "frog-hoppers," and which are bred 

 in the frothy secretions so common on grass and other plants in 

 summer time, and called by children " Cuckoo's-spit." 



The perfect insects are grotesque in form, often brilliantly 

 coloured, and of very active habits. Nevertheless, they have 

 been much neglected by British writers and collectors, principally 

 however from the want of accessible books. This want, I am 

 glad to say, will soon cease to exist. The Rev. T. A. Marshall 

 (to whom I stand indebted for most of the following names, ) is 

 most ably describing the British species in the "Entomologist's 

 Monthly Magazine ;" and Messrs. Douglass and Scott promise a 

 Monograph as soon as their work on the Hemiptera is published. 



1 . Cixius nervosus, Lin. On trees, amongst herbage, &c. ; very 



common. Northumberland, Durham, and in Cumberland. 



2. C. contaminatus, Germ. Trees, bushes, &c, &c. Same 



localities, but less common than the foregoing. 



3. Delphax pellucidus, Eab. Two females only, taken on the 



sea coast, near Hartley. 



4. Centrotus comutus, Lin. Not uncommon in flowers of 



broom, and other plants, throughout our district. 



5. Ptyelus lineatus, Lin. Males and females have occurred 



abundantly amongst low herbage, especially so on the sea 

 coast. 



