EXTERNAL ANATOMY OF INSECTS. 71 



science, should patronize notions so evidently absurd and 

 childish. Cuvier wisely remarks, that there is no proof that 

 the differences which at the present day distinguish animals 

 from each other can have been produced by circumstances. 



Thirty years ago, in this country, we were so bound by the 

 fetters of the Linnaean system, that the mouth of insects was 

 never resorted to as likely to afford distinctive characters. 

 Our great writers in their generic descriptions make no allu- 

 sion to it. Marsham's y Coleoptera, and Haworth's 2 Lepi- 

 doptera, at this day the only continuous descriptive lists of 

 the species of whole classes that we possess, are dependent 

 for their principal characters on the antennae alone. At the 

 present time it is far otherwise. The value of the mouth, in 

 furnishing characters, is well known : its anatomy, therefore, 

 cannot be a matter devoid of interest. 



The mouth of insects I have already traced to three 

 sections; the lips, the maxillae, and the mandibles. I am 

 now about to consider it in another light, as consisting of 

 seven primary parts, as under ; — 



No. 1. (a) Lab rum, or upper-lip, bearing inferiorly the («) Epipha- 



rynx, or valve. 



2. (ii) Labium, or lower-lip, bearing the (u) Labipalpi, or 



labial-feelers, and, moreover, divided into : — 



(w 1.) Insertio, or insertion, {stipes of MacLeay). 



(u 2.) Labium, or true lip, (mentum of MacLeay). 



(u 3.) Palpiger, or feeler-bearer. 



(u 4.) Ligula, or limb, (labium of MacLeay). 



3&4. (*) Mandibul^e, or mandibles. 



5 &C. (o) Maxillae, or feeler-jaws, bearing the (o) Maxipalpt, or 



maxillary-feeler, and the (o) Galea, or helmet, 



and divided into : — 



(o 1.) Insertio, or insertion. 



(o 2.) Maxilla, or true feeler-jaw,^ ., , A , 

 ) „ ( _, .a ^ i l united, the 



(o o.) rALPiFER, or maxillary feeler- > . ev- \. 



bearer y 



(o 4.) Lacinia, or blade. 

 7. (e) Lingua, or tongue, (hypopharynx of Savigny). 



The whole of these parts are not equally developed. The 



1 Scarabcens. Antennae clavatae, capitnlo fissili. — Marsham. 

 % Papilio. Antennae versus apicem clavato-capitatae, in sectione ultima plus 

 minusve uncinatae. — Haworth. 



