AND FRUIT GARDEN. 93 



Dr. Lintner says: "Insects have established a 

 kind of universal empire over the earth and its 

 inhabitants. Minute as they are, they have deso- 

 lated countries and brought ruin in their train. If 

 unrestrained power were given them, and they 

 were left free to attack us in person, food, clothing, 

 houses and domestic animals, the consequent dis- 

 ease, poverty and want would in the end remove 

 the human race from the earth." Prof. Reily esti- 

 mates that in the United States they annually 

 cause a loss of from $300,000,000 to $400,000,000. 



There is at present 350,000 named and classified 

 species, and it is estimated that not one-third are 

 yet named. 



The number that is injurious to vegetation is 

 much smaller, and many of them are their para- 

 sites, and consequently our friends. 



Prof. Reily says, further: "Insects play a most 

 important part in the economy of nature. The 

 average townsman, whose only knowledge of them 

 is confined to certain household pests, has no feel- 

 ing for them but one of repugnance; yet as scav- 

 engers, pollenizers of our fruit and as food for 

 other animals, they not only vitally concern man, 

 but, philosophically considered, are seen to be nec- 

 essary to his very existence upon the earth." 



Many large volumes have been devoted to the 

 description of insects, but as we have promised to 

 take a practical view of all the subjects treated 

 upon it is not believed that the generic description 

 of one will be necessary here. Space can be 



