336 ORDERS OF PTILOTA. 



corresjwnds with the Greek name Coleoptera, and the Latin 

 one of Vaginipennes, given by the Latin naturahsts to beetles. 

 When, however, we attend to more minute diiFerences of 

 structure, we perceive the necessity of still more rigorously 

 fixing the hmits of our gi-oups, by the employment of other 

 characters, without which we should confound the locust, the 

 grasshopper, the cicada, and the cimex, with the Coleoptera ; 

 and, indeed, in the early works of the great Swede, Linna3us 

 united the two former insects, together with the generality 

 of those which form the modern order of Orthoptera, with 

 the beetles ; and even in his last work we still find the ear- 

 w^g united vvith them, although the others were separated to 

 form the ill-assorted order of Hemiptera, which order Lin- 

 naeus had at first well defined, to comprise only those species 

 which have an elongated tubular rostrum, articulated and 

 bent beneath the breast. Now the Coleoptera, as well as the 

 Orthoptera, difi"er from these in having the mouth formed of 

 jaws and other organs for mastication. If, therefore, to the 

 above character we add, mouth with jaws, all doubt as to the 

 admission of the suctorial hemiptera is removed. 



But it is further requisite to add to the character, meta- 

 morphosis, or rather pupa, incom- 

 plete, which will not only separate 

 the Coleoptera from the fly, the 

 l)utterfly, the cimex, &c., but also 

 from those insects which have been 

 by some authors united therewith. 

 It is to be observed, however, that 

 the first of the above characters 

 does not exist throughout the 

 entire order : thus in certain, al- 

 though few, instances, both wings 

 and elytra are entirely wanting, as 

 in the crlow-worm and the female drilus; in others, the elytra, 



Blaps mortisaga. 



