PKEFACE. 



THIS little work is planned on the supposition that the 

 reader knows nothing scientifically of the Insect World, 

 but that he has exercised some degree of observation on 

 such common species as must have come before him. 

 From this it is attempted to lead him on to a general idea 

 of the Structure and Classification of Insects. 



The main endeavour of the writer has been to induce 

 the student to keep ahead of the book, which a small 

 amount of pains in examining the very common insects 

 chiefly described will enable him to do. 



Thus, for example, after reading the first four chap- 

 ters, and comparing the insects described in them with 

 the Table of Orders (p. 60), he will find that by the 

 time he requires the more particular tables of characters 

 which follow the various orders, he will already be 

 familiar with most of the characters used, and will 

 require guidance only as to their application. 



As few technical terms as possible have been em- 

 ployed, and, where practicable, English names have been 

 used for the species described. This, however, is always 

 a difficulty, from the utter absence of precision in the 

 application of popular names ; the most dissimilar insects 

 frequently sharing one name, while one insect may 

 be endowed with half-a-dozen " aliases" in the same 

 county; and each one of these is the right name, and 

 the only name, to him who employs it. 



