80 



INSECT LIFE. 



in the chapter on Brook Life. The name of the 

 order is from two Greek words : titrix, a hair, pteron, 

 a wing. It refers to the fact that the wings are 

 clothed with hair. 



Order Lepidoptera (Lep-i-dop'te-ra).- 

 The Moths, or Millers, the Skippers, and the Butterflies. 



The members of this order have four wings ; these 

 are membranous and covered with overlapping scales. 

 The mouth-parts are formed for sucking. The meta- 

 morphosis is complete. 



The name of this order is from two Greek w^ords : 

 lepis, a scale, and pteron, a wing. It refers to the 

 fact that the wings of these insects are covered 



with scales. Every lad 

 that lives in the country 

 knows that the wings of 

 moths and butterflies are 

 covered with dust, which 

 comes off upon one's fin- 

 gers when these insects 

 are handled. This dust 

 when examined with a 

 microscope is found to be 

 composed of very minute 



Fig. 70. — Part of a wing; of a butter- 1 r . r 



fly, greatly magnified. The scales SCalCS OI regular lOrm, 



rhrspSrSfii:;rd.' ^""°" °' and when a wing is looked 



at in the same way the 

 scales are seen arranged with more or less regularity 

 upon it (Fig. 70). The body, the legs, and other ap- 

 pendages are also covered with scales. 



This order has been discussed in Lessons XXIII 

 to XXV, and several representatives of it are de- 



