348 CLASS vin. 



in a thickened point (^punctum alee s. carpus) in the middle of the 

 outer margin of the wing. (It is, as may be readily supposed, without 

 any intention of indicating an analogy with the bones of the fore- 

 arm in vertebrate animals, that these names of radius, cubitus and 

 carpus have been selected.) The following veins, or nervures, which 

 like the radius and cubitus arise from the base of the wing, he 

 names nervi brachiales. These veins form by their branching and 

 mutual communication certain cells on the wing (cellulce s. areolce). 

 The outermost vein, which runs from the punctum alee to the apex 

 of the wing, is named nervus radialis, because it seems to be a con- 

 tinuation of the radius ; between it and the outer margin lies the 

 radial cell (cellula radialis). From the cubitus there arises the 

 nervus cubitalis, continued in like manner from the punctum, alee; 

 the space which lies between this vein and the radial vein is named 

 that of the cubital cells (cellulce cubitales). Finally, there arise from 

 the brachial veins nervi recurrentes, or such as form communications 

 with each other or with the cubitus, and thus form other cells, the 

 humeral cells (cellulce humerales 1 }. 



These insects undergo a perfect metamorphosis. The larvae of most 

 species are worms without feet ; in some species, however, the larvae 

 have six horny feet ; still other larvae have membranous feet; 

 the larger number of these feet (from 12 to 16) distinguishes 

 them from the caterpillars or larvae of butterflies, which in other 

 respects they resemble. The food of the larvae is various ; the per- 

 fect insect feeds especially on the juices of plants, or swallows the 

 honey of flowers. Many species also attack other insects, and thus 

 appear to live on prey ; this prey, however, does not serve for their 

 own nutriment, but for that of the larvae ; they are the females 

 that bear it to their nest. The hymenoptera on. the whole do not 

 live longer than a year, from the egg to the last change. Many, as 

 the ants, wasps and bees, live socially together in large bodies, and 

 form a regulated society. 



The intestinal canal of the hymenoptera begins with an oesopha- 

 gus, narrow and ordinarily long, which runs straight through the 

 thorax. In the abdominal cavity the oesophagus usually forms 

 an oval expansion ; only in some (Crabro, Larra, Trypoxylori) does 

 this expansion form a lateral crop. The muscular stomach is little 



1 Compare the article A He des Insects, by AUDOUIN in Dictionn. classique cVHist. 

 not., Paris, 1822, 8vo. i. pp. 176185, and Encycl. metkodique, Hist. not. Ins. Tom. X. 

 1825, p. 264, or the article Radiate, byLEPELETiER DE SAINT- FARGEAU and SERVILLE. 



