THE WATER SCORHOH. 
W9 
Genus VII The Nepa, or Water Scorpion. 
TT HE charaderiftics of thefe animals are drawn from their 
infleded roftrum, the chiliform * antennae, and the four 
Wings folded crofswife, the anterior part being coriace- 
ous. e In the Syitem of Nature there are fix fpecies enu- 
merated, three of which are found in Britain. All thefe 
dwell in the water, both in the Hate of larva and cliry fa- 
lids. The eggs of the water fcorpion are alfo depofited 
in that element ; they are of an oblong fiiape, and have 
at one extremity two or more vibrifcee, the only part 
of them which is feen, the reft being funk and con- 
cealed in the ftalk of a bulrulh, or other water plant. 
Thefe plants may be removed, and placed in water near 
the natura ift, who may thus have an opportunity of fee- 
ing them hatched and coming forth animated larvae im- 
mediately under his eye. The water fcorpions, when 
thus excluded from the eggs, remain for fome time in the 
ft ate of worms, in the place of their nativity. When they 
arrive at their full fize, and arc metamrrp -ofed into 
complete inleds, they are fometimes an inch n length, 
and nearly half as broad. The antenna appear in the 
nfual place of the fore legs f ; they are armed with a 
forceps, well adapted to the rapacious purpofes to which 
they are applied. The ntpa are of all animals the moll 
tyrannical j 
* i. e. Formed like a hook, or the claws of a crab. 
"t Vide Geoffroy, as quoted by Barbut, p. 131* 
