1832.] Notices in Natural History, 475 



ed to my astonishment no less than eighty-five young ones, all alive, and seemingly 

 fully formed ; ttiey were pale-greyish above and wliite beneath. 



On placing them in a basin of water, they appeared very lively, swimming 

 about quite briskly, but the next morning I found them all dead ; probably in con- 

 sequence of their not being sufficiently matured to leave the parent*. 



From the situation in which I found this specimen, I was at first induced to 

 think that it belonged to the land crabs ( Gecarcinns) , from which it does not 

 much differ, if at all ; but some few days afterwards finding another in every re- 

 spect similar, in a small jliil, I referred them to the genus above mentioned. 



Although I have frequently seen crabs carrying their ova, I never before met with 

 one which had young ones clinging to it ; and as several works which I have con- 

 sulted, state that the ova are deposited in the water, I am still inclined to think 

 that I have not referred my specimens to their proper genus : moreover, the cir- 

 cumstance of the second specimen having been found in the water does not at all 

 militate against the supposition of its being a land crab, as they are said to repair 

 to the water for the purpose of ovipositing. 



Stark, in his Elements of Natural History, speaking of land crabs, observes, 

 " They pass the greater part of their lives under ground, coming out in the even- 

 " ing for food. Once a year in the breeding season, they assemble in numerous 

 " troops, and take the shortest direction to the sea, for the purpose of depositing 

 V their ova ; and when this object is accomplished, return again to their haunts. 

 " It is said they stop up their holes at the period of their changing their shell." 



I shall now conclude my letter with a sketch of an insect, which by Shaw is 

 stated to be a native of Surinam, in South America ; and as I had the good for- 

 tune to procure a very fine specimen a few evenings since at this station, I feel 

 happy in being able to communicate the same to you, in case it may not hitherto 

 have been acknowledged as an inhabitant of the East. 



Order Hemiptera, genus Nepa, Water Scorpion, Nepa. grandis. Snout inflect- 

 ed; wings four, cross complicate, coriaceous on the upper parts. 



Fore feet cheliform ; the rest formed for walking. 



Colour dull brown, darkest on the scutellum and thorax ; on the last of which 

 are two pale longitudinal lines — Length 3£ inches. 



This species is aquatic, and preys on water insects and tadpoles. I was dining 

 •with a friend whose house stands on the bank of the Ganges, when I captured the 



above. 



These insects leave the water and fly during the night, and its coming into the 

 house was probably from the attraction of the lights. 



The genus Nepa of Shaw, in which he includes the present species, are all in- 

 habitants of stagnant waters ; I have collected, besides the Nepa graiidis, several 

 of the N. cinerea, N. cimicoides, and N. linearis, being all that Shaw mentioned in 

 his General Zoology. 



I may perhaps take occasion to mention some other genera in a future letter, as 

 I have made a very tolerable collection of insects since the commencement of the 

 rainy season. 



1 shall also take an early opportunity of noticing several varieties of scorpion, 

 which, if the number of teeth in the pectinated plates on the abdomen is to be 



. * Size of the young ones about as big as a capsicum seed; the old one the size of a 

 dollar. 



