THE WING SYSTEM. 381 



THE WING SYSTEM. 



The illustrious Aristotle, almost the only genuine 

 naturalist among* the ancients, seems to have been 

 the first who distinguished insects by their wings, — 

 a principle followed with greater minuteness, in recent 

 times, by Linnseus and De Geer. Aristotle does not, 

 indeed, put his system in a tabular form ; but, for 

 the sake of brevity, we shall draw up a table, founded 

 on indications in his admirable History of Animals. 



Aristotle's Classification. 



I. Winged Insects (Fterota, or Ptilota). 



1. With wing-cases — beetles (Coleoptei'a). 



2. With coriaceous wings — gi-assho ppersf Pec?e/^ca^, 



3. Without jaws — bugs (Astomata). 



4. With powdery wings — moths and butterflies - 



(Psyches). 



5. With four transparent wings (Tetraptera) . 

 Without stings, and larger — dragon-flies. 

 With sthigs — bees and wasps (Opisthocentra). 



6. With two wings (Diptera). 



Without mouth-piercers, and smaller— flies and 

 crane-flies. 



With mouth-piercers — ^gnats and gad-ilies (Em- 

 pro stfiocentr a). 



II. Wingless Insects. 



1. Occasionally acquiring wings : — 

 Ants (Myrinices). 

 Glow-worms (PygoIa7npides) . 



2, Without wings (Aptera). 



LiniKEus's Classijicatioju 



J. Winged Insects. 

 1. TFith four wings: — 



fi. Upper wings more or less crustaceous ; the 

 under wings membranaceous, 



