44 MOUTHS OF INSECTS. 



of Avon. But as insects belonging to seven different 

 orders are mentioned in the plays of Shakspeare, 1 

 desire at present to convey to you an idea of the 

 diversified structure observable in their mouths. For 

 this purpose I shall endeavour not " to bestow my 

 tediousness upon you " at greater length than the 

 proposed object requires, and shall accordingly use 

 only such quotations as are necessary to show that 

 the insect I name is one of those recorded. 



For the introduction of scientific terms I make no 

 apology. To one acquainted with the languages from 

 which they are derived, those terms convey more 

 distinct and definite ideas than any English words. 

 But even if you were not so, I would still adopt 

 the same course ; because I feel convinced that the 

 difficulty of comprehending the meaning, and learning 

 the signification, of a scientific term, is far more than 

 counterbalanced by the accurate ideas with which 

 it is ever afterwards connected in the mind of the 

 student ; and I have had occasion to regret that in 

 some recent publications the authors have made use 

 of English words in a manner not only very per- 

 plexing, but calculated to convey inaccurate, and 

 even erroneous ideas. 



Few persons have examined the mouth of an in- 

 sect ; even those who have suff'ered from its attack 

 are ignorant of the structure of the weapon by which 



