340 THE LIFE OF AN INSECT. 



Jack" who used to suffer carriages to be driven 

 over his body without receiving any harm ! 



In looking at an insect, we perceive that it 

 is naturally divisible into three principal parts: 

 first, there is the head, or caput ; next, the trunk, 

 or thorax ; and thirdly, the hinder portion of the 

 body, or abdomen. If we turn to a Latin dic- 

 tionary, and hunt out the word insecta, which 

 is the Latin term for " insect," we shall find that it 

 is derived from a verb which signifies " to be cut 

 in," or " notched." From this we see that the very 

 word insect has arisen from perceiving what we 

 are now alluding to, the natural notching of the 

 body of these creatures into certain portions. We 

 mentioned, however, at page 89, that the insect 

 in the larva form had a body which was, in 

 almost every instance, divided into thirteen seg- 

 ments, or parts. It may be asked, Are these all 

 lost in the perfect insect; or are they still to 

 be traced in it ? They are still to be traced in it. 

 The head is one, three form the trunk or thorax, 

 and the remaining number constitute the abdo- 

 men: but, in order to save disappointment, it 

 must be added, that it is rare to find the full 

 number of segments or distinct parts in the 



