gF IN3ECT3 IN GENERAL, 34I 



ter their transformation, are feen inhabiting the trees and 

 plants ; many of the fubterraneous infe6ls in like man- 

 ner rife into the air, fo foon as they arrive at their winged 

 flate. Several other attempts have been made towards 

 the arrangement of infefts, none of which feem to have 

 been fo fuccefsful as that of the Swedijlj naturaiift above 

 defcribed : By his fyftem, therefore, we fhall be chiefly 

 guided in the following ilvctgh of the hiftory of thefe ani-, 

 inals. 



5ect. V. — Of the GeneratioTi and Metamorpljofis of 

 InfeCls^ 



We have already noticed the cvroneous opinion which 

 the ancients entertained concerning the geneiaticn of in- 

 fers, and mentioned the efforts made by Rhedi and 

 others, in order to combat it : After all their refearchts, 

 however, this part of our fubjecl is far from being free 

 of difliculty. Infefts are remarkable for a greater variety 

 of fexes than any other clafs of animals. In general, 

 each individual is either male or female ; but there is one 

 prder (that of the hymenoptera, which comprehends all 

 the numerous tribes of bees, wafps, hornets, and ants), 

 among which there is found a numerous race of ai^imals 

 that are neuters. Thefe take no part in propagating the 

 different fpecies to which they belong, but feem devoted 

 to the fcrvicc of the more perfect aniuials. This fafl h 



fully 



