2 POPULAR ENTOMOLOGY. 



nourishment to the young larvse so different to herself in 

 form and habits. 



The insect world is replete with wonders, and a whole life 

 passed in research would fail to exhaust the pleasure deriv- 

 able from its attentive pursuit, more particularly to those 

 who in the study of the creature do not lose sight of the 

 Creator, but look 



" Through Nature up to Nature's God." 



What, for instance, can be more beautiful or surprising than 

 the transformations which most insects undergo ? Hatched 

 in the form of a caterpillar, then becoming nearly torpid in 

 the pupa state, which they exchange for that of the imago 

 or perfect insect, and in each of these very different condi- 

 tions, exhibiting instincts adapted to the medium in which 

 they are placed, and the functions necessary to their exist- 

 ence. A little insight into the subject will be gained by the 

 following explanation : The four stages of an insect's life 

 are the egg, larva, pupa, and imago. The eggs are usually 

 of an oval form, though some species vary considerably in 

 shape, being globular, conical, cylindrical, pear-shaped, etc. 

 They are for the most part smooth, but many are beautifully 

 ornamented, the colour also varying considerably : white, 

 yellow, and green are the usual tints, yet orange, red, brown, 



