CHAPTER II. 

 ORDERS OF INSECTS. 



fHE following are the Orders usually adopted by 

 ^^ Entomologists: — (1) Rhyncota, (2) Orthoptera, 

 (3) Neuroptera, (4) Lepidoptera, (5) Diptera, 

 (6) IIymenoptera, (7) Coleoptera. The first-named 

 Order derives its name from characters belonging 

 to the mouth {pvyxog, "a snout" or "beak"); the 

 remaining five from characters belonging to the 

 "wings. 



Although, as a general rule, all insects will fall 

 naturally into one or other of these great Orders, there 

 are some whose position is more or less problematical. 

 Those curious little creatures that you may often see 

 under stones and dead leaves, hopping actively to get 

 out of the way, the Spring- tails (Poduridce) and their 

 allies, the Silver-scales {Lepismidce), have been by some 

 regarded as forming an order by themselves — the 

 Thysanura ; but Sir John Lubbock, who has for many 

 years studied these little creatures, does not regarif 

 them in the strictest sense as true insects. The 

 minute parasites on different birds — familiar to all who 

 have carried partridges in their pockets — called Bird- 

 lice, are evidently allied to the true lice, parasites upon 

 mammiferous animals, in their general structure, but 



