720 



SCIENTIFIC RECREATIONS. 



of eggs and then die ; these eggs are often incredible in numbers, amounting 

 to many thousands but few escape the watchful eyes of other insects and 

 of birds who feed upon them. 



But there are some of the insecta which do not undergo metamorphosis; 



the APTERA or wingless insects 

 include these, as the flea and such 

 parasites which bore into other 

 animals, and deposit their eggs within 

 them. 



Insects have very little means 

 for making themselves audible, at 

 least so far as can be ascertained. 

 The humming of bees and flies and 

 other insects are, of course, not 

 intended to represent the voice. The 

 Fig. 8 S o.-imago. cricket's " chirp," as people commonly 



imagine, but the sound is attributable to the rubbing together of the wings 

 or wing-cases, as is the noise produced by the field-cricket. There is a 

 very peculiar sound attributable to the " Death-Watch," a ticking, and to 

 nervous people terrible warning of dissolution. It may reassure some one, 

 perhaps, to know that this " unearthly sound " is caused simply by the 

 insect beating its head against a piece of wood to attract its mate, as the 

 female glow-worm lights her lamp to guide her lord to her bower. 

 The INSECTA may simply be divided into nine orders : 



1 COLEOPTERA. 



2 ORTHOPTERA. 



3 NEUROPTERA. 



4 HYMENOPTERA. 



5 STREPSIPTERA, 



6 LEPIDOPTERA. 



7 HEMIPTERA. 



8 DIPTERA. 



9 APRANIPTERA. 



Case- winged. 



Straigh t- winged. 



Nerve-winged. 



Membrane-winged. 



Twisted-winged. 



Scale-winged. 



Half -winged. 



Two-winged. 



Wingless. 



Beetle tribe. 

 Locusts, crickets, etc. 

 Dragon-flies, etc. 

 Bees, ants, wasps, etc. 

 Parasites of the foregoing. 

 Moths and butterflies. 

 Bugs, water-boatmen. 

 House-fly, gnat. 

 Fleas, "chigos." 

 (Of these the metamorphoses of i, 3, 4, 6, and 8 are complete). 



The COLEOPTERA are well repre- 

 sented in England as beetles. They have 

 four wings, but the outer pair serve as 

 coverings to the inner ones. They are 

 termed Elytra, and are horny in texture. 

 These beetles are short-lived, but useful 

 as scavengers, and serve to manure the 

 ground by burying objectionable matter. 

 The larvae of beetles eat tremendously. 

 The stag-beetle is a formidable-looking 

 animal, and the lady-bird is well known 



as an enemy to the aphides on our rose Fig - 8 s'--The stag-Beetie (L 

 trees. The tiger-beetle, cockchafer, and various water-beetles belong to 



