596 INSECTA— ORDER HEMIPTERA. 



The species of this family are more numerous iti America than in England, 

 and they are called "stink bugs " in the former country, on account of the 

 offensive odour which many of them emit. 



There are a great variety of other flower-frequenting bugs belonging to 

 various families, but the European species are mostly of small size, though 

 often prettily coloured. The scutellum is generally much 

 Plant-Bugs. smaller than in the Pentatomidce, and the body is more oval ; 

 the legs and antennae are often long and slender, remarkably 

 so in some species ; and occasionally the anfcennse are clubbed. In some of 

 the large foreign species belonging to the family Sarpactoridm, the thorax is 

 often curved forwards on each side, and toothed in front, while the antennae 

 and tibiffl are often lobate, and the hind-femora much thickened and dentated. 

 Among the carnivorous land-bugs, two families are specially notable. One 

 of these is the Cimicidce, the type of which, and, indeed, of the whole sub- 

 order Heteroptera, is the common bed-bug, to which we have 

 The Bed-Bug', already alluded. It is of a reddish-brown colour, broad, 

 flattened, with very slight rudiments of wings (which are 

 said occasionally to become fully developed in hot climates), and measures 

 less than a quarter of an inch in length when full grown ; but the larval 

 forms, which are, of course, much smaller, are equally fond of blood, though 

 they must be capable of subsisting on other food, as they have been known to 

 multiply in empty houses. Very similar species are found attacking pigeons, 

 fowls, and bats. This insect has always been common throughout Africa and 

 Southern Europe, but was scarcely known in England tiU it was introduced 

 in numbers with foreign timber after the Fire of London. (See my " Text- 

 Book of Entomology," p. 204.) It has many enemies, including the cock- 

 roach and the wheel-bug ; and I have been informed that in the poor parts 

 of London, fleas and bugs do not generally exist in equal numbers in the 

 same house, and that, as a rule, it is the cleaner houses which are most in- 

 fested by bugs. Can it be that fleas will attack bugs ? I am not aware that 

 this has been previously observed or surmised ; but, as fleas are known to 

 attack caterpillars, it does not seem by any means impossible. 



The Beduviidce, or wheel-bugs, are a famil}' of rather large bugs, with a 

 large head, contracted behind into a neck, prominent eyes, two ocelli, rather 

 short antennae, and a'curved proboscis or rostrum. The type of the family 

 is the masked-bug, Beduvius personatus (Linn.), the larva 

 and pupa of which cover themselves with particles of dust, 

 apparently in order to creep upon their insect prey un- 

 noticed. This species is not uncommon in outhouses, and 

 is a blackish or dark brown insect, two-thirds of an inch 

 long, and very hairy, especially on the head, antennae, and 

 legs. There is a whitish line on the membrane-suture of 

 the tegmina. This species is rarely found in houses ; but, 

 as already mentioned, it preys on the bed-bug, as well as 

 on flies, etc. Its own bite is said to be as painful as the 

 Ji» 88— MvsKED ?*^"^ °^ *^^ '^'^''' '^^^^°^ may well be the case, considering 

 b'uo (Redwius °' ^^^ comparatively large size ; but it does not appear to attack 

 jjcrsonohts). man or the higher animals habitually. There are, however, 



Nat. size. other and much larger species of the same family that are 



great pests to both man and beast in the Southern States 

 of America, Chili, and other parts of the world. 



Many bugs, including several of this family, are usually apterous, but 



