206 



SUB-CLASS B. 

 AMETABOLA ; or Insects without a metamorphosis. 



f 



ORDER X. ANOPLURA. 



801. THE Insects of this Order, the Louse and its allies, 

 are regarded with the greatest disgust by the common consent of 

 civilized Man ; because their presence on the body is usually an 

 indication of a gross want of cleanliness of habit. Many of the 

 lower animals, however, are infested with one or more species, 

 from the attacks of which they are not able to defend themselves ; 

 and Man is subject to a peculiar disease, which seems much to 

 favour their production. They undergo no metamorphosis ; and 

 their generations succeed 

 each other very rapidly. 

 They are destitute of the 

 true compound eyes ; but 

 have one or two minute 

 ocelli on each side of the 

 head. The legs are short 

 and terminated by a strong \ 

 nail, or by two opposing 

 hooks ; whereby these ani- 

 mals can easily fasten 

 themselves to the hairs of 

 quadrupeds, of which animals they suck the blood, and upon 

 the bodies of which they pass their lives ; attaching their eggs, 

 too, upon these cutaneous appendages. The number of specie.* 

 is considerable, most of them being peculiarly attached to some 

 particular species of quadruped, and the same Louse not being 

 found upon different animals, except upon such as have analo- 

 gous characters and habits ; whilst one animal frequently sup- 

 ports two or more species of these parasites. 



Fio. 532 a, THE COMMON LOUSK; ft, magni- 

 fied ; c, one of the legs magnified ; d , eggs ; 

 e, ditto magnified. 



