COMPOSITION OF THE SKIN. 21 



skin( 1 ), the mucous net workf 2 ), and the inner skin( 3 ). 

 In insects only two layers are usually obvious, the 

 inner somewhat resembling the mucous net work of 

 the human skin, and, like that, being the membrane of 

 colour. 



The colours of insects are exceedingly various; 

 black prevails among beetles and flies; white among 

 caterpillars, grubs, and maggots, which feed under 

 cover; green among caterpillars which feed on 

 leaves; grey and dusky among moths; while the 

 colours of butterflies are usually bright white, yellow, 

 blue, and red, in diversified shades and markings. 



The terms usually given to the colours of insects in 

 our modern English books pretending to science, often 

 exhibit the most offensively pedantic taste, besides 

 being frequently unintelligible. Thus we meet with 

 griseous, for grey; ochraceous, for buff; luteous, for 

 yellow ; miniatous, for scarlet ; niveous, for snow 

 white ; and numerous vulgar barbarisms of the same 

 kind, which would not be tolerated in any other 

 science. 



In many insects pores may be detected in the skin, 

 and probably these exist in all. 



A considerable number of insects are clothed with 

 hair or down, inserted, as in other animals, into the 

 inner skin. It seems useful in keeping bees warm ; 

 in preventing the water from soaking into water- 

 beetles ; and may also possess electrical uses which we 

 cannot trace. 



COMPOSITION OF THE SKIN. 



IF the student of insects understand any thing of 

 Chemistry ( 4 ), it may be useful to mention, that the 



(1) In Latin, Epidermis. (2) In Latin, Rete mucosum. 



(3) In Latin, Cutis vera, or Corium. 



(4) An " ALPHABET OP CHEMISTRY " will make one of this 

 series of little beoks. 



