DESCRIPTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. .)> 



sects belonging to this order is found in the beak or rostrum, 

 which is formed for piercing and sucking, thus enabling them to 

 find food in vegetable and animal juices. The chinch bug is a 

 noted member of this order. The following description of this 

 destructive insect will perhaps not be considered misplaced : 

 " Length, one and two-third lines, or three-twentieths of an 

 inch ; body black, clothed with a very fine greyish down, not 

 distinctly visible to the naked eye ; basal joint of the antennae 

 honey yellow ; second joint the same, tipt with black ; third 

 and fourth joints black ; beak brown ; wings and wing-cases 

 white ; the latter are black at their insertion, and have near the 

 middle two short irregular black lines, and a conspicuous black 

 marginal spot ; legs dark honey yellow ; terminal joint of the 

 feet and the claws black. The youngest individuals are vermil- 

 lion red, the thorax or anterior part of their bodies inclining to 

 brown, and a white band across the middle of the body, com- 

 prising the two basal segments of the abdomen. As they 

 increase in size they become darker, changing first to brown, and 

 then to a dull black, the white band still remaining. The anten- 

 nae and legs are varied with reddish. In their final or perfect 

 state they acquire white wings, varied with a few black spots and 

 lines."a) 



53. Dr. Fitch enumerates and describes many species of 

 Aphis infesting fruit trees, forest trees, crops and garden vegeta- 

 bles in the State of New York. Most of these are common in 

 Canada. A list of them will most probably serve to give us an 

 insight respecting the extraordinary variety and incredible de- 

 structiveuess of this single genus of insects. 



1. Aphis Caryella. The little Hickory Aphis lives on the 

 under surface of the leaves. 



2. Aphis Punctatella, the little dotted winged Aphis. 



(1) Dr. Le Baron, Prairie Farmer, 1850. 



