210 CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. 



horizontally, and six articulated feet, situated in pairs on 

 the second, third and fourth segments: the fifth, sixth, 

 eleventh and twelfth segments invariably without feet : the 

 other segments each subject to the possession of a pair of 

 fleshy prehensile feet : feeds on the leaves, bark, wood, or 

 roots of vegetables, and rarely on other larvae. Imago with 

 short, undeveloped, immoveable labrum and mandibles: 

 maxillae elongate, palpigerous, slender, flexible and tubu- 

 lar ; when at rest, convoluted between the labial feelers ; 

 labium triangular, bearing two erect conspicuous feelers : 

 all the wings fully and nearly equally developed, and, to- 

 gether with the body, clothed with scales : feeds on the 

 honey of flowers, and on fruit. The class Lepidoptera con- 

 tains seven stirpes or principal divisions, but the characters 

 will be given minutely in detail, as characters of orders. 



Hawk-moths or Sphingites. Larva naked, of uniform 

 substance, with ten prehensile legs, and a stout, corneous, 

 recurved horn on the paratelum. Pupa smooth, rounded, 

 generally quite naked ; changes in or on the ground. Imago 

 with the antennae incrassated in the middle : the tips fur- 

 nished with a recurved hook composed of fine bristles; 

 wings narrow ; hind wings small ; body stout ; flight rapid 

 and well sustained ; diurnal or nocturnal. British genera, 

 Sesia, represented at page 101, Macroglossa, Smerinthus, 

 Sphinx, of which the caterpillar is represented at page 82 

 and the pupa at page 196, Acherontia, Deilephila, the cater- 

 pillar of which is represented at page 90, and the perfect 

 insect at page 209. 



Skippers or Hesperites. Larva generally naked, stout 

 in the middle and attenuated at the extremities, with ten 

 prehensile legs. Pupa stout, smooth, unangulated ; chan- 

 ges in a loose web among the leaves on which the larva 

 feeds, attached by the tail and a thread round the middle. 

 Imago with the antennae partially clavated; sometimes 



