96 INTRODUCTION TO 



exhibited by pupse previous to the disclosure of thai 

 perfect insect will be afterwards given in the particu- 

 lar history of the Orders, to which we therefore refer. 



Imago or Perfect insect. When an insect quits its 

 puparium, it is said to be complete or perfect, be- 

 cause it has then gone through all its changes, has all 

 its parts fully matured and developed, and is capable 

 of executing all the functions peculiar to its nature., 

 The sexual distinctions, in particular, are now mani- 

 fested, and the species become capable of continuing 

 their kind. The wings are unfolded, and by their 

 means they may almost be said to become inhabitants 

 of a new element. It is now, in short, that, consi- 

 dered collectively, they exhibit in an especial man- 

 ner all that diversity of form, peculiarity of structure, 

 beauty and variety of colouring and ornament, as 

 well as those singular instincts and modes of life 

 for which the class is so remarkable. 



In considering the perfect insect in this place, we 

 propose to give a view of its external and internal 

 structure in other words, of the exterior crust and 

 organs as they appear to the eye, and of the interna 

 parts as ascertained by dissection, or the anatomy 

 properly so called. In so doing, we must necessarily 

 render our account as general as possible, reserving 

 the details of the modifications which the various parts 

 undergo, till we come to treat of the separate orders , 

 for it is, in fact, by these modifications that the various 

 orders are constituted, and a review must, therefore 

 be taken of all the most important parts of struc- 

 ture as introductory to each, before it can be fully 



