MOTIONS OF INSECTS. 283 



Straight line, by these alternate movements it makes its 

 way slowly in the water ». 



I have dwelt longer upon the apodous larvae, or those 

 that are without what may be called proper legs, ana- 

 logous to those of perfect insects,^ because the absence 

 of these ordinary instruments of motion is in numbers 

 of them supplied in a way so remarkable and so worthy 

 to be known ; and because in them the wisdom of the 

 Creator is so conspicuously, or, I should rather say, so 

 strikingly manifested — since it is doubtless equally con- 

 spicuous in the ordinary routine of nature. But aberra- 

 tions from her general laws, and modes, and instruments 

 of action, often of rare occurrence, impress us more forci- 

 bly than any thing that falls under our daily observation. 



I come now to pcdatc larvae, or those that move by 

 means of proper or articulate legs. These legs (gene- 

 rally six in number, and attached to the underside of the 

 three first segments of the body) vary in larvae of the 

 different orders : but they seem in most to have joints an- 

 swering to the hip {coxa) ; trochanter ; thigh {femur) ; 

 shank {tibia) ; foot {tarsals), of perfect insects, the legs 

 of which they include. Cuvier, speaking of Coleoptera 

 and some Neuroptcra, mentions only three joints. But 

 many in these orders (amongst which he included the 

 Trichoptera) have the joints I have enumerated. To 

 name no more, the Lamellicornia, Dytisci, Silp/icc, Sta- 

 phylini, Cicindelce, and Gyriiii, &c. amongst coleopterous 

 larvae ; and the Trichoptera^ as well as the Libellulina 

 and Ephcmerina, amongst Cuvier's Neuroptcra, — have 

 tlicse joints, and in many the last terminates in a double 

 ' Swamni. Bibl. Nat. Ed. Hill, ii. 44. b. 47. a. 



