TRANSFORMATIONS. 7 



Insects pass their lives in three different conditions, 

 after they have been hatched from the egg or produced 

 alive by the parent. The first of these is that of the 

 caterpillar, maggot or grub (or, to speak scientifically, 

 the larva), in which the creature feeds voraciously, 

 often grows fast, and has no ivings. The second is 

 that of the chrysalis or pupa, in which the wings and 

 complete internal organisation are forming. The 

 third state is that of the perfect insect, or imago, with 

 all its limbs and powers complete. This is the 

 common course of insect-life through its transforma- 

 tions after being produced alive, or hatched from the 

 egg ; larva, pupa, perfect insect, or imago. 



Fig. 6. — Caterpillar and chrysalis of Large Cabbage Butterfly. 



It may be desirable here just to pause an instant to 

 suggest that for many points of insect description, or 

 of instruction in methods of insect life mainly needed 

 for field use, where an English word has a well-known 

 meaning, and may correctly and properly be used, 

 it should he used. 



In class or technical instruction the pupil must be 

 made acquainted with the scientific terms customarily 

 used ; but he should at the same time (for the sake of 

 being able to pass his knowledge on serviceably in 

 farm life) be equally well informed as to the commonly 

 adopted English terms. In scientific communication 

 it is convenient, as well as correct, to describe the 

 first stage of any insect as a larva ; but there are 

 many circumstances in which it would be quite as 

 correct, and very much more intelligible, to describe 

 a butterfly larva as a caterpillar, and a beetle larva 

 or a fly larva as a grub or maggot. 



