2604 Insects. 



the structure of the alary segments points to Coleoptera. Still an al- 

 ternative remains, and that alternative all our entomologists have 

 adopted, — the creation of a new primary division purposely for the 

 reception of this insect. This is an easy but illogical proceeding : it 

 relieves the mind from the labour of thinking, but loads the system 

 with an unnecessary name : it cuts the knot, does not untie it, and, 

 like Alexander's celebrated act, it saves a world of trouble. This 

 disposition to create primary divisions results from a confused idea of 

 their object in the first instance, and a deficient power of synthetic 

 association in the second. Minds like Cuvier's or Humboldt's make 

 no such divisions : it is not only certain that they have not done so, 

 but it is equally certain that all their writings have an opposite ten- 

 dency : like our own Newton, they combine facts and seek cumulative 

 evidence of their conclusions : such minds would not isolate Aphis, 

 Forficula, Phryganea, Ephemera, Sialis or Stylops, all of which, and 

 several other rather abnormal genera, have for a time taken rank as 

 primary divisions of articulate animals, because it has been found dif- 

 ficult or troublesome to master the homologies of their structure. 



Summary. 

 §§ 1, 2. Metamorphotic System. 



The character of the pupa is found to be necromorphous, and thus 

 the inquiry is at once restricted to the two classes Hymenoptera and 

 Coleoptera : this limitation, however, is not availed of. 



The character of the larva is Coleopterous, and precisely identical 

 with that of several parasitic hormocerous Coleoptera. 



§§ 3, 4. Maxillary System. 



The mouth is so imperfect that it is difficult to deduce absolute 

 conclusions from the parts yet ascertained, but such ascertained parts 

 throw no difficulty in the way of considering Stylops Coleopterous, 

 while they positively preclude its association with either Lepidoptera, 

 Hemiptera or Diptera. 



§§ 5, 6. Alary System. 



The wings of Stylops are purely Coleopterous : they are not in the 

 least anomalous, and are only abnormal in size, the fore wings being 



