INSECTA. 817 
existence is generally observed to be in relation to the period of their attaining 
maturity—that is, that an animal is long or short lived, in proportion as it at- 
tains puberty in a longer or shorter period. Among insects, this analogy 
does not hold; for while the larve of the goat-moth (cossus ligniperda,) is 
three years, and that of the cabbage butterfly, not three months in attaining 
maturity, yet the perfect insect in both lives equally long. The Melolon- 
tha vulgaris, which exists four years in its preparatory stages, lives only 
eight or ten days as a perfect insect; some ephemerz, whose larve have 
enjoyed two years of preparatory existence, scarcely live beyond an hour; 
while the common flesh-fly, whose larve have attained to maturity in three 
or four days, exists several weeks. It is worthy of remark, as connected 
with this subject, that although the general rule seems to be that insects die 
immediately or soon after the period, when the continuance of-the species 
is provided for by their coupling, and the deposition of the ova, yet if the 
junction of the sexes be prevented, such individuals seem exempted from 
the general law. It is probable that some of the instances related of insects 
naving been kept for long periods in the perfect state, have been individuals 
who had not by the sexual junction fulfilled one important purpose of their 
being. Gleditsch asserts, that by keeping apart the sexes of the grasshopper, 
their lives were prolonged to eight or nine weeks, in place of two or three, 
the general period of their existence; and under similar circumstances, 
Ephemera, which naturally perish in one day, may be kept alive for seven pr 
eight. 
The associations among insects for a common purpose are temporary or 
continued. The temporary ones owe their origin to a female who has sur- 
vived the winter, and who lays the foundation of the colony, of all the mem- 
bers of which she is the common mother. Such are the associations among 
wasps and hornets. The female queen begins the edifice, and deposits ova 
in the first formed cells, which are destined to produce assistants, to people 
and complete the colony. The insects first develope: are all neuters, or 
workers. To these, all the labors of the family are committed. In certain 
communities of Termes, or white ants, the neuters form a body of soldiers 
ready to defend the commonwealth from enemies, or to make regular war 
on rival communities, with all the precision and detail of military ope- 
rations. 
All insects which live in society, with the exception of the Termes. wn- 
de1go a complete metamorphosis. Among the Termes, the young difler 2ut 
little from the full-grown insect, except in point of size, the absence or 
shortness of wings, and other distinctions of slight importance. Among 
the ants, the neuters are deprived of wings; but in all the other societies, 
the three kinds of individuals have wings. ‘The instincts of these societies 
are modified according to their organic differences. Deprived of wings, 
the neuters or workers among the ants form their dwelling in clefts of trees, 
wa.ls, or under ground. The wasps and bees, on the contrary, whose wings 
103 69 
