SI6 



N1CANIA NIGHTINGA L E. 



slender hairs or bristles, as in the Ephemera, whilst 

 the female Raphidia has a single long 1 and sword-like 

 appendage. In none of the species, however, do we 

 find any instrument acting as the sting of the Hyme- 

 noptern. 



There is considerable diversity in the transforma- 

 tion of this order ; the larvae are hexapod, and very 

 variable in their habits and habitations. Many of 

 them reside in the water, where they are either pre- 

 daceous or vegetable feeders, some few feeding upon 

 decayed plants, others in holes which they form in 

 <he sand. The majority are carnivorous, and feed 

 upon other insects ; the aquatic species are provided 

 \vith an apparatus for obtaining a supply of fresh air, 

 which has some resemblance to lateral series of ex- 

 ternal gills, but which are, in reality, the tracheae 

 greatly dilated externally. The pupce are as active 

 as the larvae in the dragon-flies and some other 

 species ; but in both these states of these insects 

 the rnouth undergoes a remarkable modification 

 of form. In the Ephemeridee there is another 

 curious modification in the transformations, as de- 

 scribed in our article upon that family. In some 

 the pupa state is inactive, and enclosed in a cocoon 

 formed by the larva?, as in Hemcrobius, Myrmeleon, 

 &c. The Termitidce, or white ants, offer as curious 

 an instance of departure from the type of the 

 order as do some of the Apidte in the order Hymc- 

 tioptcra, there being three kinds of individuals exclu- 

 sive of the active larva? and pupas. The transfor- 

 mations of Panorpa are unknown. In the imago 

 state the duration of life is variable, some species, 

 as many of the Ephemera, being but the creatures of 

 a day, or even still less. There is also very consider- 

 able diversity in the size of these insects ; some of the 

 Libelhdida; being amongst the largest of our insects, 

 whilst some of the Hemerobndee or Psocidis are very 

 minute, but not so minute as the smallest Hymenop- 

 tera or Coleoptcra. 



From the considerable variation, both in structure 

 and transformations of these insects, there has been a 

 considerable diversity of opinion relative to the ex- 

 tent of the order, the Libellulte and Ephemerae, 

 having an aquatic pupa, being regarded by some 

 authors as the types of distinct orders. The same 

 has also been maintained respecting the Termitidce, 

 or white ants, and the caddice flies (Phryganeae), 

 which last have been formed by Mr. Kirby into the 

 order Trichoptera, whilst by Latreille, the order is 

 maintained in its Linnaean extent. We have adopted 

 the views of modern English authors, separating only 

 the Phryganeee. The order is therefore divisible 

 into sections, which exhibit the following succession 

 of natural relations founded upon the habits and 

 transformations of the groups: I. Carnivorous in- 

 sects, having aquatic larvae and active pupae, bearing 

 a certain resemblance to the imago ; '2. Carnivorous 

 insects having terrestrial or aquatic larvae and incom- 

 plete pupa? ; 3. Carnivorous or omnivorous insects, 

 terrestrial in all their states, and having active pupae 

 differing from the imago only in wanting wings. 

 Latreille, by introducing the Phrygancce into the 

 order (and which correspond with the Ephemerae in 

 the aquatic habits of the larva; and the rudimental 

 structure of the mouth of the imago, and forming 

 together Dnmeril's family Agnatha or Buccelles) adds 

 a fourth group of herbivorous insects, with aquatic 

 case or caddice-forming larva?, and inactive, incom- 

 plete pupa; ; terminating the order with those species 



of Phryganece which have the wings very slightly 

 reticulated, resembling, in many respects, some of the 

 least perfectly organized Lepidoptera. This last 

 relationship is admitted by most recent authors, so 

 that the neuropterous insects may be arranged with 

 the Trie*) opt era on one side, leading to the Lepidop- 

 tera, whilst, on the other side, they are allied to the 

 Orthoptera, as above noticed ; the Trichopte.ra again 

 are allied to the Tenthredinidce in the order Hi/mr- 

 noptera, which renders it impossible to place these 

 orders in a continuous series in regard to their affi- 

 nities. 



The order Neuroptera is divisible into the follow- 

 ing sections and families. 



1. Subulicornes (Latreille). Having the antennae 

 minute and setiform, with not more than seven 

 joints ; eyes large ; ocelli two or three ; larvip 

 aquatic ; pupa resembling the larva ; imago 

 aerial. 



A. Odonata (Fabricius). Wings of equal size ; 

 mandibles very large ; respiration of the larva 

 anal. Genus, Libellula (Linnaeus). 



B. Anisoptera (Leach). Posterior wings small ; 

 mandibles rudimental ; respiration of the larvae 

 by means of lateral pseudo-trachea 1 . Genus, 

 Ephemera (Linnaeus).. 



2. Filicornes (Latreille, Planipcnnes, Regne Ani- 

 mal). Antenna? long ; filiform setaceous or 

 clavate, much longer than the head ; multi-arti- 

 culate ; eyes moderate ; ocelli sometimes want- 

 ing ; larvae generally terrestrial. 



A. Tarsi five-jointed. Linnaean genera, Pa- 

 norpa, Myrmeleon, Hemerobius. 



B. Tarsi four-jointed. Linnaean genera, Ra- 

 phidia, Ternies. 



C. Tarsi two or three jointed. Tennes, Psocus, 

 (Latreille). 



D. Tarsi three-jointed. Genus, jP7#(GeorTroy). 

 Each of which genera constitutes the type of a 



modern natural family. 



NIC AN I A. The late lamented naturalist and 

 amiable man, Dr. Leach, constituted this genus, in 

 consideration of the peculiar formation of the hinge, 

 and its manner of interlocking the valves-. This 

 mollusc is, however, now placed as a species of the 

 genus Venus, the animal not differing sufficiently from 

 it. The philosophical and accurate views of Dr. 

 Leach sometimes led him into distinctions occasion- 

 ally too nice in the classification of testaceous mol- 

 lusca. This is no fault in principle, but leads to 

 great inconvenience, by the multiplication created in 

 the number of genera. 



NICOTIANA (Linnaeus). A genn< of herbaceous 

 annuals, mostly natives ot Aineiica. The flowers are 

 pentandrious, and the genus belongs to Solanece. 

 Few plants have been more regarded than the N. 

 tabacum, for an account of which see TOBACCO. 



NIGHTINGALE (Motacilla luscinia, Linnaeus; 

 Curruca luscinia, Bechstein). Under the word SYL- 

 VIADA;, in the alphabetical order, there will be found 

 a general notice and arrangement of those small 

 forests birds, chiefly summer visiters, which make the 

 early part of the season so cheerful, especially in the 

 southern and warmer parts of Britain ; but the night- 

 ingale has been so long celebrated, and is so local as 

 a British bird, that we shall insert a very brief notice 

 of it here, including some extracts from Bechste'm's 

 Cage Birds, because in Germany, where he observed 

 and studied, nightingales are much rnorc common, 



