HEMIPTERA. 161 
have been known, according to one informant, to swarm in military posts in former 
times in southern New Mexico to such an extent that the soldiers were ordered out 
and formed in two lines, one line with brooms to sweep the corucos en masse up 
against an adobe wall, where the other line stood ready with trowels and mud and 
plastered them into the wall alive—a novel but effective means of riddance! 
I have not seen Dr. Dugés’s original article, but he has very kindly 
sent me specimens of the insect, and from these the accompanying 
drawing has been prepared. It will be seen that the form is quite 
distinct from that of the ordinary house bug, especially in the excava- 
tion of the prothorax in front, which is very slight, the lateral angles 
not projecting forward on the sides of the head. 
THE BARN-SWALLOW BUG. 
(Acanthia hirundinis Jenyns.) 
This species has occurred in great numbers in the nests of the com- 
mon barn swallow at Ames, lowa, the occurrence being noted by Prof- 
fessor Gillette (Entomological News, Vol. I, pp. 26-27) and by the 
writer in the Canadian Entomologist, Vol. XXIV, p. 264. 
The bugs appear to be confined to the swallow nests or upon the 
parts of the barn adjacent 
to them, some being ob- 
served on the sides of the 
barn nearly down to the 
ground. They were very 
abundant after the swal- 
lows hac left in autumn, 
and specimens kept in a 
bottle corked with a rubber 
stopper were alive the fol- 
lowing summer. It would 
be an easy matter for them 
to survive in the nests or 
in cracks and corners of 
the building near the nests 
during the winter absence 
of the hosts. The nests 
contained immense num- 
bers of empty eggshells, 
showing that the eggs were 
deposited directly in the nests, and where the young bugs in hatching 
would at once gain access to the birds. 
While it is impossible to say at just what time the eggs were laid, it is 
safe to conjecture that they are laid some time during the early part of 
the summer, probably soon after the appearance of swallows in the 
spring, and that the young become partially grown at least before fall. 
It is of course possible that they may use other food than the blood 
4653—No. 5——11 
Fic. 91.—Acanthia hirundinis—enlarged (original). 
