29 



stages of existence. The following quotation contains also a 

 corroboration of the propriety of this approach : — " The white 

 ants, though they belong to the Neuroptera order, borrow their 

 instinct from the hymenopterous social tribes, and, in con- 

 junction with the ants, (Formica,) connect the two orders. Their 

 societies consist of five descriptions of individuals : — workers, or 

 larvae ; nymphs, or pupae ; neuters, or soldiers ; males and 

 females."* The class Coleoptera now approaches the Neurop- 

 tera, and on each side the boundary we find larvae digging 

 pitfalls in the sand to catch their prey, and having tubular 

 mandibles to extract its juices when caught. We find them 

 spinning silken cocoons, in which they change into quiescent 

 pupae, incapable of taking nutriment ; which may fairly be 

 supposed a symptom of approach ; but there is no insect whose 

 imago I would venture to place on the circumference of the 

 neuropterous circle at the point. 



When we find an insect so doubtfully situated between two 

 classes, that Linnaeus placed it in Neuroptera, Fabricius in Or- 

 thoptera, Latreille, in two of his works, in Orthoptera, and in two 

 others in Neuroptera, MacLeay in Neuroptera, and Kirby and 

 Spence in Orthoptera, I think it but fair to conclude, that the 

 orders must approach very nearly to admit of tliis difference of 

 opinion : such is Mantispa ; and Mantis-like as it really is, it 

 only borrows that appearance fi"om being on the extreme circum- 

 ference of the Neuropterous circle, and touching the Orthopterous 

 one where Mantis must evidently be situated. Lastly, we see 

 in Psocus the form, wings, and whole appearance of Aphis, so 

 exquisitely imitated, that practised entomologists often, nay 

 mostly, fail in separating them correctly : thus we find that class 

 VII. contains five natural orders, the contents of which have 

 been — and may be again, should the linear and dichotomous 

 system continue in vogue — placed either in the class to which 

 they truly belong, or respectively in classes I. II. III. V. and VI. 

 at the mere option and caprice of the systematist. I have already 

 adnutted that 1 find no neuropterous insect sufficiently related, 

 in its final state to class IV. to warrant my placing it in contact 

 with that class ; and that I may not be accused of assuming 

 * Introduction to Entomology, Vol. II. p. 32. 



