21 



ON THE CLASSES OF INSECTA. 



Many theories, which read plausibly enough, we find, on 

 attempting to apply them, totally at variance with facts : I will, 

 therefore, not content myself with making unsupported assertions, 

 but endeavour to summon to my aid fragments of the great 

 whole, and array them before the reader, in what I consider 

 order, asking of him, as an especial favour, that he will examine 

 and compare the genera and species which I shall mention as 

 related to each other in corroboration of my scheme ; for much 

 as I could wish by argument to convince him that a system of 

 circles, grouped in sevens, exists universally throughout nature, 

 yet I should much prefer that, by actual experiment, he should 

 convince himself. With this view I will take a rapid survey of the 

 central class* of Insecta, observing in what particulars it is related 

 to those which surround it. I have selected insecta first because 

 I already possessed a slight knowledge of its contents ; secondly, 

 because there exists little difference of opinion as to those 

 contents ;■[ and, thirdly, because Mr. MacLeay has given it as 

 his opinion " that it is among insects above all other groups of 

 animals, that owing to their myriads of species, the mode in 

 which nature's chain is linked — a mode, the knowledge of which 

 comprises all knowledge in natural history, will be most evident, 

 and therefore most easily detected." J 



It is somewhat remarkable that, although considerably up- 

 wards of two thousand years have elapsed since the first system 



* I have invariably used the term class, to designate the orders of Linnaeus, 

 and sub-class, for the next division, of which seven are supposed to exist in 

 every class : these sub-classes may sometimes constitute natural orders, in 

 which case a plural termination is given ; thus, Blatta constitutes in itself 

 a sub-class Blatta, a natural order Blattae, and a genus Blatta ; but generally 

 a sub-class will contain seven natural orders ; as sub-class Scarabaeus con- 

 tains natural orders — Lucani, Coprides, Scarabaei, Histeres, &c. 



\ The only question as to the contents of insecta, is, whether the pediculi 

 are true insects or not ; the class Hemiptera is so closely related to them, that 

 I cannot think it a great violation to place them in the outermost circle of 

 that class ; the acari may be supposed meeting them in an adjoining circle, 

 but I have no desire to provoke controversy on this minor point. 



X Annulosa Javanica, preface, p. xi. 



