HEMIPTERA. 
‘or other similar matters which come from furniture and clothes, 
rendering the legs of this insect thick and deformed, and giving to 
its whole body a very singular appearance.” 
What instincts! what habits! Under this borrowed costume, 
‘under this cloak, which is no part of itself, the insect, as it were 
‘masked, has become twice its real size. What becomes of its dis- 
guise, and how does it manage to walk? Of what use to it is this 
dirty and grotesque fancy dress ? 
Let us listen to De Geer. “It walks as fast, when it likes, as 
other bugs; but generally its walk is slow, and it moves with 
measured steps. After having taken one step forward, it stops 
awhile, and then takes another, leaving, at each movement, the 
opposite leg in repose ; it goes on thus continually, step after step 
in succession, which gives it the appearance of walking as if by 
jerks, and in measure. It makes almost the same sort of move- 
'ment with its antennee, which it moves also at intervals and by 
jerks. All these movements have a more singular appearance than 
it is possible for us to describe.’’* 
By means of this disguise, it can approach little animals, which 
become its prey, such as flies, spiders, bed-bugs. 
To see what a curious appearance the Reduvius presents, one 
should take off its borrowed costume. Then you will see an 
Fig. 72.—Reduvius personatus, covered with Fig. 73.—Reduvius personatus, denuded 
its cloak of dust (magnified). of its cloak of dust (magnified). 
| entirely different animal, and one which has nothing repulsive about 
| it. With the exception of the elytra and wings, which it has 
* “Mémoires pour servir 4 1’Histoire des Insectes.” Stockholme, in 4to, 1778, 
| Tome iii., p. 283. 
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