558 



INSECT A. 



the tonguclct is fnrcatr ; llic thorax is plato-lil;r. The second joint of the tar;ii is simply dilated 

 beneath, near the tip, or in form nf a rev^'r:^(_'(l heart, and not notched. These insects have been very 

 carefully investigated in respect to their internal anatomy, by Messrs. Ramdohr, Po-,selet, ]\Iarce! ((e 

 Si_-rres, and especially hy Leon Dufour, in the Jnnoles den Sci. Nat., vol. xiii. From their anatotijical 

 characters they appear to L. Dufour to constitute a distiuct order, Avhich he names Labidourci. 

 i\[r. Kirhy liad also previously proposed the name of Dermapterfi for them as an order.''' 



These insects are very common in damp situations, where they often assemble in troops under 

 stones, and the bark of trees ; they do much injury to the fruits of our gardens, [devouring also the 

 petals of flowers], as well as the bodies of their dead companions, defending themselves vs'ith their 

 forceps, of which the form varies according to the sex. It is a vulgar notion that they creep into the 

 car of sleeping persons ; this, however, is the origin of their French name, Perce-orcille [Enghsh name, 

 Earwig \ German name, Okrivurm, Sic.~\ 



[The species has been distributed into a considerabli? number of subjrenera by Leacli, Servill(;, and Burrneister,] 

 Latreille divides them, in a note, iTito 



I'(jrJ'tci(/a prupi-r, whlcli has not more than U Joints to the antennsc. 

 -^ ^__ Furfii'iia aiiricutaria, is n:Oi*c tlian lialf-an-inch lonir, brown, shiny, witli a reddish head, the 



sides of the thoj-ax grey, and the feet yellow-ochre coloured. The female ^^uards her eggs with 

 much caie, as well as her younc, for a considerable time. 



J^(jr/(Ci/^« w/"yr (the small Earwig;), is much smalli^r, and has 11- or 1'2-joiuted antennae ; it 

 forms Leach's genus Labia. 



Furficcsila, Latr., has more than 14 joints to tlie antcmue. [F. guja>ttca, the type of Leach's 

 genus Lahkhira, with 30 joints to the antennj.\] 

 (Jhdidiira, Latr., is winj^less. 



The second genus, that of 



Blatt.v, Linn., 

 Has five joints to all the tarsi; the wings are only fuldcd lungitudinally ; the head 

 hidden beneath the large plate of the prothorax, and the body is orbicular, or ovab aud flattened. 



The antenn;e are filiform, inserted in an inner notch of the eyes, long, and comjiosed of a very great 

 number of joints ; the palpi are long; the prothorax shield-like; the wing-covers are ordinarily as 

 long as the abdomen, coriaceous or semimembranous, and crossing each other slightly at the suture. 

 The posterior extremity of the abdomen presents two conical and articulated appendages ; the tibi;u 

 are very spinose. 



The I'dattse [or Cockroaches] are nocturnal insects, exceedingly active, some living in the interior 

 of our bouses, especially kitchens, bake-houses, and corn-mills. Others are found in the country. 

 Thcv are very voracious, consuming all kinds of provisions. The species found in the French colonies 

 are there termed Kakerlacs, and greatly annoy the inhabitants by the mischief they commit, attacking 

 nut oulv eatables, but ti:nawing also woollen and silk materials, and even shoes; they will also eat 

 other insects. Some species of Sphex make war 

 upon them. 



[The species are very numei'ous, and have lately been 

 formed into a considerable number of genera by Serville 

 and Burmcistcr; Latreille, however, retained them under 

 tlie single genus Blafta.] 



Jifaffn oriirntalis [the common Cockroach] is an inch 

 long; the male is furnished with wings shnrter than the 

 abdouH/u ; the female has only short rudiments. The 

 eggs, IG in number, are symmetrically arranged in an 

 oval compressed case, which is at lirst white, but subse- 

 quently hrowD and solid, denticulated on one side; the 

 h-riiaje carries it about with her for some time at the 

 extremity of the body; she then attaches it to various 

 substances by means of a gummy secretion. This species 

 is a scourge both to the inhabitants of Russia and Fin- 

 laiiil. It has been supposed to liave come from South 

 America, whilst others give Asia as its native country. 



ir. I,';ii(.-Il 'llviJed tlic oUicr Orthnpu 

 r vvilh Ihc wings fuldrcl Io.iki I mlhirilU 

 ng in iiHlraiglil liuL-. were liis Urllu. 



two otiiir nrdcrM, I elytra cr^ssin^,' each nther, nrid ihc 

 itli tlie "ill)' cni-^^rs urder DIelyoptcra (£l/ii((u>. 

 ah'J UiMic«iUi Uic I 



