A “ COWSHED ” HUNT. 
57 
A “Cowshed” Hunt. 
BY SUSY C. FOGG. 
On the morning of August io, our genial professor, followed 
by his little flock, started for a tramp along “ Six mile Creek.” 
Today we numbered eleven, two less than the usual “ thirteen/’ 
which, nevertheless, had proved the luckiest of numbers on for¬ 
mer excursions, and, in spite of the over-ardent rays of the sun, 
we were full of enthusiasm, for were we not going in search 
of—well, “ cowsheds,” a name that gave no hint of its meaning 
to the uninitiated ! 
After leaving the highway of dust and commonplace travel, 
we made our way through a pleasant.thicket of Goldenrod, Joe 
Pye weed, Asclepias and Sweet-bush clover, that grew high 
above our heads, and among these gay stalks, which clothe 
every hillside and wayside during this month of fullest summer, 
were swarms of insects, rioting over the feast of sweets. 
Never were the Pennsylvania Soldier beetles and Ambush 
bugs in such abundance. The Soldier beetle (Fig. i) is one of 
our diurnal fireflies. Its wing-covers are raised high in flight, 
and it is an active and conspicuous insect 
of a half inch or more in length. Its color 
is a dingy yellow with the thorax and lower 
half of the wing-covers marked with black, 
and rings of black and yellow encircling 
the abdomen. 
In marked contrast to the life habits of 
the Soldier beetle are those of the Am¬ 
bush bug (Fig. 2 ). He is predaceous 
and depends upon his shrewdness and 
the matter of concealment to get his living. The thorax and 
abdomen are expanded, giving the insect a grotesque appear¬ 
ance, and are green, broadly banded with black or brown. The 
front legs are abnormally developed and strong enough to seize 
the unhappy victims which come within his reach. 
Coming from the thicket, we walked along the bank of the 
