THE APHANIPTERA AND DIPTEEA. 



651 



of the prothorax, which is elevated and notched, so as to resemble a por- 

 tion of a cog-wheel. One species, Eeduvius personatus, inhabits houses, 

 and is said to feed upon the bed-bug. The larva and pupa of this in- 

 sect are difficult to discover, on account of their habit of enveloping 

 themselves in a coating of dust. The Hammatocerus belongs to this 

 family. The insect is remarkable for the curious structure of the sec- 

 ond joint of the antennse, which consists of numerous small articulations. 

 The generic title is derived from two Greek words, signifying " link- 

 horned," and is given to the insect in allusion to this peculilirity. 



APHANIPTERA. 



We now come to another order, deriving its title from the invariable 

 absence of wings, the name being derived from two Greek words, the 

 former signifying "invisible," 

 and the latter " a wing." There 

 are not many species belonging 

 to this order, and they are all 

 known by the popular name of 

 Fleas. 



The strength and agility of 

 the curious but annoying little 

 insect the Flea are perfectly 

 wonderful. Many of my readers 

 have doubtless seen the exhibi- ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^'^ "'''^■^«^^')- 



tion of the Industrious Fleas, who drew little carriages and carried 

 comparatively heavy weights with the greatest ease. The apparatus 

 with which the Plea extracts the blood of its victims is very curious, and 

 forms a beautiful object under a microscope of low power. Its leap 

 is tremendous in proportion to its size. This property it enjoys in com- 

 mon with many other insects, among which the Common Grasshopper, 

 the Frog-hopper, and the Halticas, or Turnip-flies, are conspicuous. In 

 all these insects the hinder pair of legs is very long and powerful. 



DIPTERA. 



We now pass to the Diptera, or Two-winged Insects, which may be 

 known not only by the single pair of wings, but by the little append- 

 ages at their base, called halteres, or balancers, and which are the 

 only vestiges of the hinder pair of wings. Moreover, the wings are 

 not capable of being folded. This order is of vast extent, and 

 includes a whole host of species. 



The Tipulid?e are very familiar to us through the well-known insects 

 called Daddy Long-legs or Crane-flies. In their perfect state these 



