THE STUDY OF INSECT LIFE 3 



history of the insect. Approached in such a 

 manner, the study of insect life becomes filled 

 with pleasure and interest, an interest that only 

 deepens the further we carry our observations ; 

 for we must be dull indeed if we do not quickly 

 realize how important is the part which environ- 

 ment plays in the life of the insect, and yet at 

 the same time that the insect forms only a part 

 of that environment, a factor or link of more or 

 less importance in the wonderful web of life. 

 Working in this way, we shall the better be able 

 to comprehend the true significance of the varied 

 shapes, colours, and modification or elaboration 

 of the structure of insects. 



While the museum specimen and technical 

 text-book should only be used as works of 

 reference, it is necessary that, without burdening 

 ourselves with difficult and purely technical 

 nomenclature, we should make ourselves as 

 familiar as possible with the general anatomy 

 of insects, and those most salient features that 

 will enable us to recognize to which Order or 

 Family the insect under our observation may 

 belong. We should also know something, if it 

 is only quite an outline, of the peculiarities of the 

 transformations or metamorphosis through which 

 insects typical of the different species pass. In 

 the following pages I hope to be able to place 

 such information before the reader in as simple 

 and non-technical language as circumstances 

 will permit. 



If we compare a Lobster, a Scorpion, a Centi- 

 pede, a Beetle, and a Butterfly, we shall very 

 easily realize that they are all connected together 



