Il6 THE INSECT WORLD. 



be seen springing over the fern stalks and thistles, in the damp parts 

 of most of the woods of Europe. 



Geoffroy calls this insect "le Petit Diable." '' Le Petit Diabie," 

 he writes, "is of a dark blackish-brown. Its head is flat, projecting 

 but slightly, and, as it were, bent downwards. Its thorax, which is 

 rather broad, has two sharp horns, which terminate in pretty long 

 points on the sides. In the middle of the thorax is a crest or comb, 

 which, prolonged into a sort of sinuous and crooked horn, terminates 

 in a very sharp point, reaching to within one quarter of the extremity 

 of the wing-cases. These — viz., the wing-cases — are dark, with brown 

 veins ; and the wings, shorter than their cases, are rather transparent. 

 The insect jumps very well, and is not readily caught.* 



The Petit Diabie of Geoffroy is the Centrotiis coniutus of modern 

 naturalists. This curious little insect belongs to a strange and re- 

 markable group, whose thorax takes the most extraordinary and most 

 varied forms, as may be seen in Fig. 86, which represents somewhat 

 magnified, many of these insects. Nearly all inhabit Guiana, the 

 Brazils, and Florida. 



We will now proceed to examine one of the most interesting 

 groups of insects — that of the Plant-lice. These insects have for a 

 long time attracted the attention of naturalists. They are so abun- 

 dant that all our readers have seen them, and there are few plants in 

 our fields or gardens which do not nourish some species. How often 

 does one hesitate in gathering a rose or a bit of honeysuckle, for fear 

 of touching the unattractive guest of those charming flowers ! 



During the whole of the summer one sees on the branches, on 

 the leaves, but principally on the young shoots of the rose-tree, large 

 companies of green plant-lice, which subsist on the sap of the tree. 

 Some are provided with wings (Figs. 87, 88), others are wingless 

 (Figs. 89, 90). The last-named are the largest, and are a line and a 

 half long. They are entirely green, except two parts, of which we 

 will speak immediately. The body is oval ; the head is small, and 

 furnished with two brown eyes. The skin is smooth, and tightly 

 drawn over the body. The antennas, which are very long and slender, 

 almost equal to the body in length. The six legs are long and slim, 

 and the short feet terminate in two hooks. On the upper part of 

 the body are two small cylindrical horns, surmounted by a small 

 knob. The antennae and these horns are black. 



The winged individuals are of the same size as these, but are of a 



* " Histoire abregee des Insectes, dans laquelle ces animaux sont ranges dans 

 unordre methodique." In 410. Tome i., p. 434. An VII. d" U Republique, 



