24 INSECTS IN GENEllAL. 



It will be observed that all tlie family names of insects end in ida: 

 This is a Greek termination, meaning W{e or smilar, aud implies that 

 all the s[)ecies in any sncli gronp have a family resembhince to tli'ose of 

 the leading genus to which it is affixed — thus: Cieindelifl (e nuMins Cicin- 

 dela-like insects. In inonouucing these words the accent is i)laced 

 npon the sylhible preceding this termination, thus : Cicindel-ida', Carab- 

 idw, etc. 



It is often the case that fanylies, especially those whi(!h contain many 

 species, admit of divisiou into a number of natural groups of a higher 

 rank than genera, which are designated as sub-families, and dislin- 

 guislu'd by the termination ides. Thus the fan)ily ( 'aribidu' is divided 

 into a nund)er of sub-families, such as the Brachiuides, thii ^IScarUiiles, 

 etc. 



DIVISION OF INSECTS INTO ORDERS. 



The class of insects is divided into a number of juimary groups called 

 orders. Between these larger divisions are certain smaller ones, which 

 serve as conn<H-,ting links between them, and which some authors have 

 merged in one or the other of the ad joining larger groups, whilst others 

 have considered them of sufficient imi)ortance to be raised to the same 

 rank with the larger ones. From this it has resulted that the number 

 of orders into which the class of insects has been divided has varied, 

 even in the works- of standard authors, from seven to twelve, and the 

 luunber will be still increased if we regard as distinct orders certain 

 apterous form, such as the lice (PedicuU,) and the springtails (Thy- 

 sanura.J 



But as in this elementary treatise it is the intention to simplify tbe 

 cl assili cation of insects as much as possible, we have adopted the 

 smaller nnmber of orders, with the single exce])ti(>n of recogni/>ing the 

 di\ ision of the Ileniiptera into llomoptera and Jleteroptera as of ordi- 

 nal value. 



Tlie orders of insects are founded primarily upon the nund)er and 

 structure of the wings. This mode of division was tirst suggested by 

 Aristotle, who gave the names which they now bear to two of the or- 

 ders, namely, the Coleoptera and the Diptera. It was afterwards al- 

 most i)erfected by Linn:eus, but hJls been somewhat modified by more 

 recent authors. 



The orders, at the jjresent time, are usually arranged in two sections, 

 with four orders in each, based upon the form and structure of the 

 mouth. 



