24 INSECTS"lN GENIillAL. 



. It will be observed that all the family names of iusects end in idw. 

 Tliis is a Greek termination, meaning Wee or similar, and implies that 

 all tlie spoeies in any sneb jj,ronp have a family resemblance to those of 

 the leading genns to which it is affixed — thns: Cicindelidw means Cicin- 

 dela-like insei-ts. in pronouncing these Avords the accent is placed 

 ui>on the syllable preceding this termination, thus : Cicind el-id w, Carab- 

 idfv, etc. 



It is often tlie case that families, especially those which contain many 

 species, admit of division into a number of natural groui)S of a higher 

 rank tlmn genera, whi(;h are designated as sub-families, and distin- 

 guished bv the termination ide.s. Thus the family ( 'aribidie is divided 

 into a number of sub-fannlies, such as the Bidehinide.s, the ^Scayitides, 

 etc. 



DIVISION OF INSECTS INTO ORDERS. 



The class of insects is divided into a number of ]>rimary groups (tailed 

 orders. Between these larger divisions are ceitivin ."jmaller ones, which 

 serve as connecting links between litem, and which some authors have 

 merged in one or the other of the adjoining larger groups, whilst others 

 ha\e. considered them of sufficient importance to be raised to the same 

 rank with the larger ones. Fiom this it has resulted that the nund)er 

 of orders into which the class of insects has been divided has varie<l, 

 even in the wcnks of standard authors, from seven to twelve, and the 

 numl>er will be still increased if we regard as distinct oiders certain 

 apterous form, such as the lice ( J'edivuli,) and the springtails (Thy- 

 sauura.J 



Jjut as in this elementary treatise it is the iidention to simplify the 

 classilicalion of insects as mm;h as possible, we have adopted the 

 siualler lunnber of orders, with the single excej)tion of lec.ognizing the 

 di\isioii of the Ilemiptera into llonjoptera and lieteroptera as of ordi- 

 nal value. 



1'he onlers of insects are founded primarily upon the nund>er and 

 structure of the wings. This mode of «li\ision was iirst suggested by 

 Aristotle, who gave the names w hich they now bear to two of the or- 

 ders, namely, the Coleoptera and the ])iptera. It was afterwards al- 

 most |K'rtecte<l by Limneus, but has been somewliat moelitied by more 

 re(;ent authors. 



The oi<h',rs, at the present time, are usually arranged in two sections, 

 with (our tuders in each, based upon the form and structure of the 

 mouth. 



