THE ANTENX.Z. 



antennae are five times as long as the body. In 

 others they are comparatively short, sometimes deeply 

 toothed like combs, sometimes terminated with a 

 round club, sometimes with the ends developed into 

 a beautiful fan-like apparatus, and sometimes looking 

 like a number of coins joined together by a string 

 running through their centre. The knob-tipped 

 antennae of the butterflies are an unfailing character- 

 istic whereby these insects can be distinguished from 

 the moths, with their sharp-tipped antennae ; while in 

 the latter group of insects, the antennae of the male 

 are often wide and feathered, those of the female being 

 mere jointed threads, without any feathering what- 

 ever. Many insects seem to be altogether without 

 antennae, but, like the undeveloped legs already men- 

 tioned, they can be found in their places, though so 

 small as to escape a hasty observation. 



HAVING now briefly examined the general cha- 

 racteristics of insects, we will take them in detail. 



Among the insects, the COLEOPTERA, or BEETLES, 

 are acknowledged to hold the first rank, their develop- 

 ment being more perfect than is found in any of the 

 other orders. The name of Coleoptera is composed 

 of two Greek words, signifying sheath-wings, and is 

 given to this order of insects in consequence of their 

 leading peculiarity, which is, that the upper pair of 

 wings is modified into horny or leathery cases, called 

 elytra, useless in flight, but employed in protecting 

 the membranous under pair of wings, which alone are 

 used in flight. In many Beetles the lower pair of 

 wings is net developed, and in a few both pairs are 



