94 GROWTH OF INSECTS. 



Preparatory to going into this state, many insects 

 make a sort of nest, called cocoon (*), to lie in ; others 

 hang themselves up by the tail, by a very ingenious 

 process ; and some remain active and move about, as 

 in the case of bugs, locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, and 

 dragon-flies. 



Besides the insects which make a cocoon, many 

 of those which do not, upon moulting their last 

 skin in the caterpillar, grub, or maggot state, acquire 

 a covering, in some cases horny and tough, in 

 others thinner and more transparent. In this enve- 

 lope they remain, till the soft juices accumulated in 

 their previous state become duly assimilated to their 

 proper organs or members, and form the horny skin of 

 the body, together with the legs and wings. 



In butterflies, such as the peacock and the 

 alderman, this covering appears shining, as if gilt, 

 and a Latin ( 2 ), and also a Greek ( 3 ) word, implying 

 gilding, was given to butterflies in this state, and 

 thence these words were extended to instances in 

 which there was no gilding, and the terms, from fre- 

 quent use, may now be considered half naturalized as 

 English words, particularly the term chrysalis. 



Those with gilt coverings, as is the case with most 

 butterflies, are in this state of alongish form, with seve- 

 ral projecting corners and angles, with no appearance 

 of feet or wings. Moths, again, in this state, are usually 

 longish and tapering, with distinct rings and spiracles 

 for breathing along the sides. Two-winged flies are 

 in form of an egg, except being equal in thickness 

 at each end. Most beetles and gall-flies have no case- 

 covering, but remain with their legs folded closely 

 over their breast. It has been already mentioned 

 that bugs, crickets, grasshoppers, and dragon flies are 



(1) In Latin, Incunabulum. 



(2) The Latin word is Aurelia. 



(3) The Greek word is Chrysalis. 



