INSECTS IN GENERAL. 87 



of more than three or four thousand feet above the level of 

 the sea. 



Similar observations might be made with regard to otlier 

 insects, which in southern countries, such as the south of 

 France, Italy, or Spain, establish their domicile on alpine or 

 sub-alpine mountains, while in higher latitudes they rise but 

 little above the level of the soil. These animals find in both 

 situations a similar temperature and similar food. The ele- 

 vation above the sea, and the mean temperature of the 

 places Avhere insects are taken, Avill always be carefully noted 

 by the enlightened entomologist. 



Thus, as well as geographers, naturalists have divided the 

 surface of the earth into different climates. The former have 

 taken as their bases the progressive differences in the longest 

 duration of the natural day ; but the latter have founded 

 their divisions on the mean temperature of the regions proper 

 to animals and vegetables. In the entomological philosophy 

 of Fabricius, the acceptation of the word climate is general, 

 and embraces the entire of the habitations of insects, or 

 rather, of all animals with articulated feet. He divides the 

 climates into eight stations, or into as many particular sub- 

 climates. These are termed the Indian, Egyptian, the Austral, 

 the Mediterranean, the Boreal, the Oriental, the Occidental, 

 and the Alpine. But it is not difficult, as M. Latreille ob- 

 serves, to see, from the enumeration of the countries which 

 he refers to each of them, that these divisions are not always 

 established on positive proofs, and that if the principle on 

 which they are founded be pushed to its full extent, wliich 

 principle is the mean temperature, some of them must be 

 suppressed. The sub-climate which he calls mediterranean, 

 comprehends the countries adjacent to the Mediterranean 

 sea, along with Media and Armenia. The boreal, or 

 northern, extends from Paris to Lapland. The oriental 

 consists of the north of Asia, of Siberia, and the cold or 



