ENTOMOLOGY. 



CHAPTER I. 

 THE STRUCTURE OF INSECTS. 





WHEN" we consider that the class of insects alone comprises 

 about four fifths of the animal kingdom, and that there 

 are upwards of 200,000 species in collections, it would seem 

 a hopeless task to define what an insect is. One may study 

 a definition of the class of insects, and read pages and even 

 volumes about the structure of insects in general, but such 

 knowledge would be second-hand, and it is far better for 

 the beginner to simply catch a grasshopper, and carefully 

 examine it for himself. By so doing he will learn more in 

 a few hours than the mere student of books will accomplish 

 in weeks. Still, one who knows nothing aboiit insects needs 

 some guide to give the names to the parts readily seen, and 

 to point out those organs and their details which might be 

 overlooked. 



We will suppose that the beginner has a common red- 

 legged locust or grasshopper in his hand; and in order to 

 readily examine it he should be provided with a Coddington 

 or any other lens, and a stand to hold it when both hands 

 are needed to dissect the specimen, a pair of slender iron 

 forceps, and a needle mounted in a pine handle with which 

 to separate the legs and mouth-parts. Directions for col- 

 lecting and dissecting insects will be found in the sixth 

 chapter. Meanwhile we may say that any boy or girl can 

 catch a grasshopper, and after it is caught it may be killed 



