G12 ORTHOPTERA. 



quarter of an inch in length. The larvae are parasitic on the 

 bodies of the wasps and bees, where they lose their feet and be- 

 come larvae of a different form an instance of retrograde met- 

 amorphosis. The perfect insects are very short-lived, but very 

 active. They were first observed by Kirby. 



THIRD ORDER. DERMAPTERA, (Gr. <%ua, derma, skin ; meqbv, 

 pteron, wing.) 



The insects of this order are by some included among the 

 ORTHOPTERA to which in the organs of the mouth they corres- 

 pond, and which they resemble also in being active and in feed- 

 ing during the pupa state. But they differ from them in the struc- 

 ture of the wings, which fold both longitudinally and transversely 

 to bring them under the elytra, (wing-covers.) This order in- 

 cludes the EAR WIGS, (Forficula.) Plate XV. fig. 4, which live 

 in damp places and feed on vegetable food. These insects have 

 the tarsi three-jointed ; their antennas are long and slender and 

 made up of many articulations. The Ear- wig sits over her 

 eggs and assiduously watches the young when they appear. 



FOURTH ORDER. ORTHOPTERA, (Gr. dgddg, vrihos, straight ; 

 TtTsgov, pteron, wing.) 



In this order the metamorphosis is imperfect, the elytra, or 

 wing covers are coriaceous and veined, with the inner margins 

 overlapping ; in some cases the wings are wanting, or so small 

 as to be entirely useless ; the mouth is mandibulate, (with jaws,) 

 and this organ and the thorax are much like those of the Bee- 

 tles. The body is generally long ; the head vertical, and the 

 antennas slender. The feet are well developed; but though 

 some are very active, others are remarkably slow in their move- 

 ments. The order includes (1) COCKROACHES, BlattidcR, (genus 

 Blaiia, Plate XV. fig. 5,) hiding by day and seeking food by 

 night, and in tropical countries extremely troublesome. Scald- 

 ing or fumigating them in their hiding places is one of the best 

 methods of exterminating them. They sometimes even penetrate 

 the brick walls of buildings, destroying both animal and veget- 

 able substances ; (2) the PRAYING INSECTS, Mantida, (Gr. 

 Mantis, a prophet,) which use their fore legs as arms and hands, 

 and when waiting for their prey, raise their feet as if in suppli- 

 cation, (Plate XV. fig. 7,) whence their name. They eat other 

 insects, are great fighters, and when confined will eat each other. 

 The smaller kinds of these insects are seen occasionally in New 

 England and New York ; (3) SPECTRES, Phasmida, (Gr. phasma, 



