53° 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



of paddles. There is nothing more in this group of insects that 

 is very striking. 



We will now take up the Hemiptera, of which the well-known 

 bedbug is an example. One species from tropical America (the 



Diactor bilinealus) has very slender legs, 

 except the tibia? of the hind pair, these be- 

 ing broadly expanded. What use these ex- 

 pansions are to this insect is not known. 



Another singular species, one that is 

 found throughout most parts of the Unit- 

 ed States, namely, Ranatra fusca, inhabits 

 ponds and other streams. It is known to de- 

 stroy the eggs of fishes and to attack young 

 fish. It is when they attack fish that their 

 stout fore legs come into play, being used 

 for grasping and holding any unfortunate 

 fish that should fall within their reach. It 

 will be seen how well adapted these legs are 

 for the purpose. 



Among the beetles, or Coleoptera, there 

 are many curious forms, of which I will 

 only mention a few of the most prominent. 

 Acrocinus longimanus, the "long-armed" 

 beetle, as it is called, has the fore legs greatly 

 elongated, being twice as long as the body 

 and about three times as long as either of 

 the other legs. It inhabits tropical Ameri- 

 ca, where it is said to be quite abundant. 



The giants among insects belong to the genus Dynastes, and 

 to several allied genera. Of Dynastes, one (D. hercules) found in 



Fio. 5. — Eanatea fusca. 



Fig. 6. — Dynastes hercules. 



Africa attains a length of six inches, and is remarkable, not only 

 for its great size, but for the long, curved horn which projects 

 out from the thorax ; beneath this horn there is another much 



