INSECTS a more or less long and pointed beak. The latter is carried on the under side of the fore part of the body and in some species reaches as far as the base of the hind legs. The order is divided by systematists into two main sections : the Heteroptera, in which the front of the head is quite free from the base of the forelegs, and the Homoptera, in which that part which should be the front of the head is closely applied to the base of the forelegs so that the beak appears to rise from the middle of the breast. The Heteroptera, which may be termed ' running-bugs,' in contradistinction to the Cicadina and Psyllina, which are essentially 'jumping-bugs,' comprises a number of species exhibiting considerable diversity of form and habits. Few, if any, of them are likely to attract the notice of the casual observer, though the habits of many species are very interesting. The female of Acanthosoma inter stinc turn, a species com- mon on birch trees in the autumn, has been observed to take charge of its eggs and young in a fashion very unusual among insects. The Rev. John Hellins observed that the female Acanthosoma laid her eggs on the underside of a birch leaf, in number between thirty and forty ; they were laid close together, the outer on their side and the inner ones stood up on end in a somewhat diamond-shaped patch, about the size of the body of the parent insect. The latter then stood brooding over the patch of eggs, and after about three weeks the young bugs were found clustered beneath their mother amongst the empty egg-shells. At first the mother showed no fear and barely moved when touched, only altering her position so as to protect the side on which the danger threatened. In a few days, however, when the young ones had accomplished their first moult and commenced to run about on the leaf, she moved about amongst them in a state of apparent anxiety, and fluttered her wings rapidly if they were disturbed. If the sun shone out and the leaf was still there was a great deal of running to and fro, but at night and when the wind blew roughly, the mother contrived to get the young ones under her, and sat covering them as at first. This state of things con- tinued for about a couple of days, when the young dispersed in small parties, but even at this point the mother seemed desirous to continue her ministrations. A few species associate with ants to which they bear con- siderable resemblance, especially when in motion ; Systellonotus triguttatus furnishes a good example of these. This species is found not uncommonly on the celebrated Mousehold Heath running on the ground in company with a blackish ant ; its male is a bug-like insect about three-sixteenths of an inch long, with reddish brown upper wings traversed by two broad snow-white bands, whilst the female has the merest rudiments of wings, and the body is pinched in at the waist and widened behind so as to give the creature a very ant-like appearance. Passing over the water-boatmen {Notonecta), which are too well-known to call for remark, we have in Ranatra linearis a very curious and interesting form. This is a narrow pale-brown insect with a body about i^ inch long, and two thread-like tails almost as long as the body, and which when brought together form a tube along which air passes to the breathing organs situate at the tip 163
