THE WING SYSTEM, 381 



THE WING SYSTEM. 



illustrious Aristotle, almost the only genuine 

 naturalist among the ancients, seems to have been 

 the first who distinguished insects by their wings, 

 a principle followed with greater minuteness, in recent 

 times, by Linnaeus and De Geer. Aristotle does not, 

 indeed, put his system in a tabular form ; but, for 

 the sake of brevity, we shall draw up a table, founded 

 on indications in his admirable History of Animals. 



Aristotle's Classification. 



I. WINGED INSECTS (Pterota, orPtilota). 



1. With wing-cases beetles (Coleoptera). 



2. With coriaceous wings grasshopper s(Pedetica). 



3. Without jaws bugs (Astomata). 



4. With powdery wings moths and butterflies 



(Psyches). 



5. With four transparent wings (Tetraptera) . 

 Without stings, and larger dragon-flies. 

 With stings bees and wasps (Opisthocentra) . 



6. With two wings (Diptera). 



Without mouth-piercers, and smaller flies and 



crane-flies. 

 With mouth-piercers gnats and gad-flies (Em~ 



prosthocentra). 



II. WINGLESS INSECTS. 



1. Occasionally acquiring wings : 

 Ants (Myrmices). 

 Glow-worms (Pygolampides), 



2. Without wings (Aptera). 



Linnaus's Classification. 



I. WINGED INSECTS. 

 1. With four unngs : 



#> Upper wings more or less crustaceous ; the 

 under wings membranaceous. 



