170 INSECTS. 



I. SPICULIFERA, or dart-bearers, consisting of the 

 Cynips family or Gallflies, and of the Evania, Ichneumon, 

 Chalcis, Proctotrupes families ; parasitic on living insects. 



II. TUBULIFERA (tube-bearers), consisting of the 

 Ruby-tails, which are supposed to be parasitic in the 

 nests of other Hymenopterous insects. 



The SPICULIFERA, which are sometimes called Piercers, 

 in contradistinction to the sawing and boring insects of 

 the former subsection, like them derive their name from 

 the nature of their ovipositor, a needle-like organ con- 

 sisting of a horny sheath, guarded by a pair of valves and 

 enclosing two slender and delicate serrated bristles. 



The insects of this division differ widely in appear- 

 ance from those of the two former, and the difference is 

 that which we so frequently observe between carnivo- 

 rous and herbivorous quadrupeds. The greyhound and 

 the sheep the tiger and the cow, do not present a 

 greater contrast than we find between the substantial, 

 straight-sided, oblong bodied Sawfly, and the light, 

 almost fantastically formed little parasite Evania, or 

 Chalcis. 



It may be objected that this comparison is fanciful, 

 and points to a relation which does not exist, because 

 the larvee, between which the diversity of food is found, 

 are in both 'cases comparatively inactive grubs, while 

 the perfect insects, which present the diversity of form, 

 are almost all vegetarians. The answer to this is, that 

 although one cause of the heavy form of the ox as com- 

 pared with the tiger is that a larger bulk of vegetable 

 than of animal food is necessary for nutrition, and there- 

 fore more room is required for its reception, this is 

 not all. Carnivorous animals are mostly predaceous, and 

 thus require an agility in motion and lightness of form 



