THE AST EMMA APT ERA. 
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Astemma aptera. 
authors to almost the whole of this division of the Hemiptera , 
is now only given to those species with more or less egg-shaped 
bodies, antennae very delicate towards the end, and heads slightly 
narrowed behind. The type of this family is unfortunately well 
known to almost everybody, and it is the common Bed Bug 
( Cimex lectulcirius ). This insect nourishes itself almost exclu- 
sively with the blood of man. Who does not know its habits ? 
During the day-time it remains hidden amongst the bed hangings, 
and in the wood, in cracks in the walls, behind the wall paper, 
condition. There are some insects of this set, however, which 
have ocelli on the forehead ; they are very common, and children 
call them “ soldiers and sailors,” and they are always scrambling 
and crawling over each other on the twigs of plants. They *are 
red and black in colour, or they may be of a general lead colour, 
with red spaces toned down with black spots. 
The name of Bugs ( Cimex ), which was applied by ancient 
