The te ES 7 YT, OURS Y ocho NG & Gif S, 
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Of the fying Water Scorpion *, which belong to our fecond cla/s or order. 
Dee (EX Tee. RON AR A Rw ESS. 
O' the water Scorpion which I occa- 
fionally mentioned in the general enu- 
meration of infects, I have not feen more than 
two kinds. Thefe I thall now feparately de- 
{cribe with figures, to illuftrate the defcription. 
The firft, which is the fmalleft and moft com- 
mon of the two, is, like the greateft part of 
the other more perfect infects, divided into a 
head, a thorax, and an abdomen. In the head 
are placed the eyes, and under thefe is the 
mouth, which is of a round form, Tab. III. 
fig.iv. a. The head is of a pale red colour, 
and of a very hard and firm texture. The 
eyes are hexagonal and reticular. The fting 
which lies in the mouth, as in a theath, is 
hollow, and of a bright red colour. In the 
upper part of the thorax, which refembles the 
head both in colour and texture, we find four 
-wings, and in the lower part as many legs, 
befides two claws placed forward towards 
the head. The upper wings 44 are of the 
fame colour with the thorax; and it is remar- 
kable, that the fore parts of thefe, by which 
they are joined to the fhoulder blades, are of 
a ftronger and firmer texture than the hinder 
parts, which are in a manner membranaceous, 
and full of delicate veflels. Thefe upper wings 
are inferted fo clofe to the lower pair, and 
cover them all over fo exaétly, that at frft 
fight no one would imagine the infect had two 
pair. ‘This difpofition of the wings preferves 
the under pair from getting any wet, though 
the creature fhould remain a whole day under 
water. Thefe under wings are of a pale co- 
-lour¢c, and of a membranaceous texture, with 
little yellow and red veffels or pulmonary tubes 
moft elegantly diftributed through them. ‘The 
upper part of the abdomen, which thefe wings 
cover, is of a deep and clear red colour, like 
vermilion, and is thick fet with hair, fo as to 
afford a very agreeable fight. The legs have 
feveral joints, and each ends in two claws dddd. 
Thefe are almoft of the fame fhape with thofe 
of the land Scorpions ee, only they have no 
forceps or pincers; but the firft point is fo 
flexible, and the infect has fuch a command 
of it, that it ferves the fame purpofe. The 
abdomen, whofe fhape has been already de- 
{cribed, is underneath of a pale colour, and 
terminates in a forked tail, which when open- 
ed, is exactly like the figure I have here given 
of it f. ‘The thorax and abdomen of this in- 
fect are fo unufually flat and thin, that one 
* The characters of the water Scorpion according to the latter fyftems are thefe : 
antenne or horns form a kind of claws like thofe of cruftaceous animals 3 
the legs are four. Linnzeus conneéts the Cimex Agquatilis with this, 
would be apt to fufpect nothing was contained 
within them +. 
There is nothing more remarkable in this 
infect, than that it conftantly appears covered 
with a prodigious number of nits of different 
forts and fizes, though perhaps we may with 
more reafon confider them as fo many little 
creatures, which live and grow by fucking the 
Scorpion’s blood. Thefe are fomewhat of an 
oblong figure, approaching to round, and have 
afhining, and as it were bloated furface, with- 
out any of the rings obfervable in moft infects: 
The neck is oblong and fhaped like a pear, 
with the {mall end fticking in the Scorpion’s 
body. The colour of this infeét is a mean be- 
tween that of vermilion and purple; and when 
it is pretty well grown, there appears within 
it an elegant tranfparent {pot or particle, Tab. 
III. fig. iv. g. 
This {pot or particle induced me to confider 
with more attention this minute and hitherto 
unregarded infect, and even to undertake the 
diffection of it. But who would imagine that 
on this examination it fhould prove a perfect 
and furprifing infect? This is however a cer- 
tain fact: and thus in that infinite variety of 
works, by means of which God is pleafed to 
make himfelf known to us, we ever meet 
with new matter of admiration and aftonith- 
ment. 
This little creature being extracted from the 
fhell that covered it, looks like a young Spi- 
‘der before it has left its egg. On the fore 
part is the head, fig. v. a, and on its head are 
the eyes 4: under the eyes are placed its lit- 
tle legs elegantly coiled and folded cc; but 
they appear much more diftingly on turning 
the infect on its back dd; and in this fituation 
alfo it beft appears with what art thefe legs are 
laid up in the fhell, and all over covered with 
hair. ‘The colour of this little creature is, as 
I already obferved, a mean between that of 
vermilion and purple; and this colour thews 
itfelf through the coat or fhell, which is tranf- 
parent. Icannot determine to what {pecies of 
infects this is to be referred; nor can I fay to 
what fize it grows, or by what kind of creature 
it is thus depofited on the water Scorpion in 
the form of an egg, there to receive life and 
growth. Neverthelefs, I cannot but look on the 
difcovery I have made as very interefting, fince 
it proves that there are in the nature of things 
eggs which acquire a fenfible growth by an 
the trunk is turned in-under the body, the 
the wings are four, and they are placed crof-wife ; and 
and gives to the genus he thus forms the name Hepa. 
+ There is not perhaps in all the animal creation {fo outrageous or 
Scorpion. It deftoys, like the Wolf among Sheep, 
put into a bafon of water, in which were thirty or 
deftroy them all in a few minutes: he gets on’their b 
twenty times as many as its hunger requires. 
forty of the Worms of the middle Libella, which 
acks, and pierces his trunk through their body 
fierce a creature againft thofe weaker than itfelf as the water 
I have feen one of thefe when 
are at leaft as large as itfelf, 
Dd 
entra~ 
