CHAPTER V 



THE CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS 



The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), justly 

 called the " Father of Natural History," divided animals 

 into two great groups, viz. those with red blood and a 

 backbone, and those without. The latter, or Invertebrata, 

 he subdivided into molluscs, scaly animals, animals with 

 soft scales, and insects. The insects he yet further sub- 

 divided, and three of his groups — Coleoptera or beetles, 

 Psychae (Lepidoptera)or butterflies and moths, and Diptera 

 or two-winged files — hold good at the present day. But 

 it is to the Swedish naturalist Karl von Linne\ better 

 known by the name of Linnaeus (1707-1778), that we 

 owe the method of classification which is now in use. 

 He arranged all the plants and animals that were known 

 to him in accordance with a definite system, calling the 

 largest groups classes, and subdividing these into orders, 

 genera and species. He also instituted the practice of 

 giving each species a double name. For example, we 

 have in England three kinds of large butterflies with 

 silvery markings on the hind- wings beneath, their respective 

 popular names being the "silver-washed," "dark green," 

 and " high brown " fritillaries. According to the Linnaaan 

 principle, their double scientific names are Argynnis 

 paphia, Argynnis aglaia, and Argynnis ad'qjpe. More- 

 over, there are other members of the same genus, not 

 only in Britain but in many countries of the northern 

 hemisphere : and in the event of a new species being 



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