TOO ORTHOPTERA. 



after another with insatiable appetite, until its full growth is accomplished. 

 It then glues the hinder part of its body to a leaf, and awaits its change into a 

 pupa. In a day or two the skin cleaves down the back, and the pupa shows 

 itself: it is of a white colour at first, but soon becomes black, spotted with 

 red and yellow. It does not at once quit the spot to which it had adhered as 

 a larva, but remains there with its old skin gathered in folds around its hinder 

 parts. For a week it continues in this state, motionless and apparently dead, 

 but really carrying on within an important process, namely, developing and 

 hardening the various organs that belong to the perfect insect. At the end of 

 that time, the pupa-case bursts, and the ladybird crawls out, with its wing- 

 cases small and crumpled ; but they soon enlarge and become smooth and 

 shapely, though they remain for a time of a pale yellow colour, without any 

 trace of the spots that afterwards become so beautiful. In the course of a few 

 hours, however, the rich colours begin to appear, and the various distinctive 

 marks give the creature its character and elegant appearance. At the same 

 time its skin has acquired firmness and its muscles vigour, so that, leaving its 

 cast-off garments behind, it departs on its fresh travels, again to make war on 

 the Aphides, and to choose a mate. 



STRAIGHT-WINGED INSECTS. ORDER ORTHOPTERA.* 



The Orthoptera differ from the beetles in the following cir- 

 cumstances. Their tegumentary skeleton is less dense and solid, 

 their front wings, or elytra, are semi- membranous, and are sup- 

 ported by a framework of nervures ; moreover, instead of meeting 

 in a straight line along the back, they overlap each other. The 

 hind wings are folded longitudinally like a fan. The larvae and 

 pupae are equally active : the former possess no wings, and in the 

 latter these organs begin to show themselves enclosed in wing- 

 cases ; in both conditions they closely resemble the perfect insect, 

 and live upon the same food. Their mouth is always furnished 

 with cutting mandibles, with which they devour vegetable sub- 

 stances. They are all terrestrial in their habits, and for the most 

 part feed upon plants. The entire Class may be conveniently 

 divided into two groups : 



ist. Those which run upon the ground (Cursoria).t 



2nd. Those whose hind legs are constructed for leaping (Sal- 

 tat oria). J 



The first division is represented by the Earwigs and Cock- 

 roaches, the latter by the Grasshoppers and Crickets. 



The Earwigs (Forficuld) form a connecting-link between the Orthoptera 

 and the beetles, and are sometimes described as forming a class by themselves, 

 undtr the names of Dermaptera, and Euplexoptera. || The latter name 



* 6p66s, orthos, straight ; TTT^POV, pteron, a wing. *f Cursoria, running. 



+ Saltatoria, leaping. 5fy//.a, derma, skin ; irrtpov, pteron, a wing. 



II ?i', eu, beautiful ; 7r\6co>, pleco, 1 plait ; irrtpov, pteron, a wing. 



