Chap. XII.] BUGS. — FLEAS. 



433 



a head of dressed celery. These it moves without dis- 

 persing the powder : but when dead they fall rapidly to 

 dust. I regret that I did not preserve specimens, but 

 I have reason to think that they are the larvae of the 

 Flata limbata, or of some other closely allied species l 9 

 though I have not seen in Ceylon any of the wax pro- 

 duced by the flata. 



Hemiptera. Bugs. — On the shrubs in his compound 

 the newly-arrived traveller will be attracted by an insect 

 of a pale green hue and delicately-thin configuration, 

 which, resting from its recent flight, composes its scanty 

 wings, and moves languidly along the leaf. But ex- 

 perience will teach him to limit his examination to a 

 respectful view of its attitudes ; it is one of a numerous 

 family of bugs, (some of them most attractive 2 in their 

 colouring,) which are inoffensive if unmolested, but if 

 touched or irritated, exhale an odour that, once endured, 

 is never afterwards forgotten. 



Aphaniptera. Fleas. — Fleas are equally numerous, 

 and may be seen in myriads in the dust of the streets or 

 skipping in the sunbeams which fall on the clay floors of 

 the cottages. The dogs, to escape them, select for their 

 sleeping places spots where a wood fire has been pre- 

 viously kindled; and here prone on the white ashes, 



1 Amongst the specimens of this 

 order which I brought from 

 Ceylon, two proved to be new 

 and undescribed, and have been 

 named by Mr. A. White Elidiptera 

 Emersoniana and Poeciloptera Ten- 

 nentina. 



2 Such as Cantuo ocellatus, Lep- 

 toscelis Marginalis, Callidea Stoc- 

 kerius, &c. &c. Of the aquatic 

 species, the gigantic Belostoma In- 

 dicum cannot escape notice, attain- 

 ing a size of nearly three inches. 



F F 



