427 
time were so old and disintegrated that specific determination was 
impossible. The present season, however (May, 1805). Mr. Parish sends 
us additional material, consisting of sound females and eggs, from which 
we are able to determine the species as MaskelFs Pulvinaria psidii. 
We have not been able to ascertain the date and manner of its intro- 
duction into California. The species was possibly introduced from the 
Sandwich Islands, or possibly also from Japan on Japanese plums. At 
all events. Mr. Wait's account of the damage done by this insect to 
guava plantations in Hawaii shows that it is a dangerous species, and 
efforts should be made to stamp it out at once at San Bernardino. 
HOW HE3IIPTEEA FEED. 
There seems to be a very general misapprehension of the manner in 
which the hemipterous insect draws up nourishment from animals or 
plants. The popular conception that the plant or the larva or other 
animal preyed upon is actually punctured by the beak, or. in other 
words, that the beak, meaning the labium with inclosed seta?, is thrust 
for a greater or less distance into the tissue, is certainly erroneous. 
Observations on the habits of our predaceous Hemiptera. together with 
an examination of the structure of the labium itself, indicate that the 
latter never enters the food, but that the puncture is made entirely with 
the seta? applied together to form a lancet, and that the juices are drawn 
up by suction through the labium or beak, which is merely applied 
closely to the exterior surface. 
If a predaceous hemipteron be noticed in the act of sucking the 
juices from some lepidopterous larva it will be seen that the latter is 
suspended from, or is seemingly attached to, the very extremity of the 
beak. Plants also, infested with aphides or larger Hemiptera, do not 
exhibit the numerous large punctures which would result if the beak 
were bodily inserted. The Cicada larva, for instance, which possesses 
a very large and robust beak, and which attaches itself to a fixed por- 
tion of a root for a very long period, leaves no visible sign of puncture 
other than a slight discoloration, which results from the entrance and 
irritation of the almost microscopic seta?. 
If observations on this point were wanting, the structure of the labium 
itself would at once indicate that it could not be employed as a piercing 
organ. The labium of all hemipterous insects, so far as I have examined 
them, is clothed to and on the very tip with hairs, usually very strong 
and numerous, projecting anteriorly, which would make the piercing of 
any hard substance quite impossible, without tearing off and rupturing 
the hairs: and what is more, the beak is rarely very sharply pointed. 
This holds true even of the predaceous Keduviida?. the water bugs, and 
the animal parasites. In the case of the black reduviid, Melanolestes 
picipes II. S., which often severely stings collectors, the beak is very 
strongly clothed to the very tip with long, coarse bristles. The same 
is true of Acanthia Jectalaria. In Belostoma the beak is quite smooth, 
