Photo by] 



The Hercules Beetle. 



[E. step, F.L.S. 



What is an Insect ? 



Ix a work intended to give a popular account of the \\ onders of Insect Life, 

 it is essential that there should be a clear understanding as to the particular animals 

 that are comprised under the term Insect. Formerly any li\-ing creature of small 

 size was regarded as an Insect ; and we fear that among the present generation 

 there are many persons for whom the word has scarcely any more definite meaning. 

 P3ut in this work we shall deal only with those animals that are accepted 

 as Insects by modern 

 naturalists ; for though 

 we shall endeayour to 

 describe their structure 

 and their ways in language 

 imderstanded of the 

 people," we hope to speak 

 with the accuracy that is 

 often wanting in p<)i)ular 

 accounts. 



All the multitudinous 



forms of animal life haye 



been sorted out by 



naturalists, and placed in 



a number of grand diyi- 



sions according to their 



possession of certain . ,^ 



, . . „, . Insect .\nd Spider Contrasted. 



characteristics. I here is , ., 



A siiriii-tail, whirb is one of tlie simpler forms of Insect life, is here contrasted with ji 

 no present need to name spl,!,,- which is «<-/ an insect. Note the eight legs of the spider (right) compared with 



,, \ , ^ T • ■ tlie six legs of the springtail ; the six legs being a distinguishing character in all 



ail these, but one division insects at niaturtv, whether they arc winged or wingless. 



