THE COMMON SQUASH-BUG. 
195 
applied to this insect because its punctures cause the leaves 
of the squash to become wrinkled. Mr. Say, not being aware 
that this insect had already been three times named and de- 
scribed, re-described it under the name of Coreus ordinatus. 
Of these four names, however, that of tristis, being the first, 
is the only one which it can retain. Coreus , its generical 
name, was altered by Fabricins from Coris , a word used by 
the Greeks for some kind of bug. 
About the last of October squash-bugs desert the plants 
upon which they have lived during the summer, and conceal 
themselves in crevices of Avails and fences, and other places 
of security, where they pass the winter in a torpid state. 
On the return of warm weather, they issue from their winter 
quarters, and Avhen the vines of the squash have put forth a 
few rough leaves, the bugs meet beneath their shelter, pair, 
and immediately afterwards begin to lay their eggs. This 
usually happens about the last of June or beginning of July, 
at Avhich time, by carefully examining the vines, Ave shall find 
the insects on the ground or on the stems of the vines, close 
to the ground, from Avhich they are hardly to be distinguished 
on account of their dusky color. This is the place where 
they generally remain during the daytime, apparently to es- 
cape observation ; but at night they leave the ground, get 
beneath the leaves, and lay their eggs in little patches, fasten- 
ing them with a gummy substance to the under sides of the 
leaA'es. The eggs are round, and flattened on tAvo sides, and 
are soon hatched. The young bugs are proportionally shorter 
and more rounded than the perfect insects, are of a pale ash- 
color, and have quite large antennae, the joints of whicli are 
somewhat flattened. As they grow older and increase in size, 
after moulting their skins a feAv times, they become more OA'al 
in form, and the under side of their bodies gradually acquires 
a dull ochre-yelloAV color. They live together at first in little 
swarms or families beneath the leaves upon Avhich they Avere 
hatched, and which, in consequence of the numerous punc- 
tures of the insects, and the quantity of sap imbibed by them, 
