126 ARTICULATES: INSECTS. 



to touch and examine the food. Those insects which 

 suck their food liave either a long tube, as Butterflies 

 and Moths ; a piercing sucker, as Mosquitoes ; a softer 

 one, used for lapping, as Flies ; or a jointed one, 

 which is doubled under the breast when not in use, 

 as Bees. The eyes of insects appear to be only two 

 in number, but each is composed of many single eyes 

 — often thousands, and in some cases the astonishing 

 number of twenty-five thousand — closely iinited. Many 

 winged insects have . also one, two, or three single eyes 

 on the crown of the head. The legs are six in num- 

 ber, and are attached to the under side of the thorax ; 

 the wings are two or four, and vary greatly in form 

 and thickness, in veinings, and in the manner of fold- 

 ing when at rest. The hind body is the largest por- 

 tion, and the air-holes are found on this part. Insects 

 are produced from eggs. A very few do not lay their 

 eggs, but retain them in the body till hatched ; others 

 always lay their eggs where the young will find a plen- 

 tiful supply of food. Most insects undergo great and 

 wonderful changes in form and habits; so great, that 

 the same insect, at different ages, might be taken for 

 as many dififerent animals. For example : a caterpil- 

 lar, after feeding upon leaves until it is fully grown, 

 casts oif its skin, and appears as a much smaller, oval 

 body, which neither moves about nor takes food. After 

 remaining awhile in this state, there is motion within, 

 the skin bursts open, and there comes forth a butterfly, 

 or a moth, whose wings expand, and harden, and are 

 soon able to bear it away in search of flowers, upon 

 whose honey it feeds. In its first state it is called a 

 larva, — a word which means a mask, — because its 

 future form is masked, or concealed ; in the second 



