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BLATTA {BLABERUS) GIGANTEA. 
Plate VII. Eig. 1. 
Blatta gigantea Linn. Fabr Blaberus giganteus, Serville 
Drury's Exotic Insects , vol. ii. PI. 36, fig. 2. 
This is certainly the largest species of this family ; 
the length of the body being frequently about three 
inches, and the wings when expanded often measur- 
ing half a foot from tip to tip. The general colour 
is a dusky livid ; head reddish-brown ; antennae half 
the length of the body, and of a brown colour. The 
thorax, which is thin and flat, of comparatively small 
size, and of a transverse oval shape, has a large 
quadrate brownish-black spot in the centre. The 
tegmina, as well as the wings, are livid, the former 
appearing striated, and having a narrow brow r n streak 
on each, extending from the shoulder along the mid- 
dle. Abdomen brown ; the legs reddish-brown. 
This species is a native of South America and the 
West Indian Islands. It has occasionally appeared 
in this country in the vicinity of harbours and docks, 
but can no more be regarded as a native than the 
bird-spider of America {My gale avicularia ), and 
other foreign visitors, which are sometimes found in 
such situations. This insect w’ell represents the 
general form and appearance of the Blattae, but there 
is a small section of somewhat dissimilar aspect aris- 
ing from the back being rather convex, the colours 
deeper and more varied, with other less obvious dif- 
ferences. As an example of this modification of 
form, we have figured 
P 
