MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 173 



of considerable size, and of the strangest forms; 

 Chrysalids suspended by their tails, braced by silken 

 bands, or encased in shrivelled leaves, will be seen 

 hanging from the branches, or entombed among the 

 crevices of the bark ; and the perfect Butterflies will 

 court his notice as they alight to suck the juices of 

 the fruits and flowers, or as their splendid wings 

 glance in the sunbeams among the forest glades. 

 With the setting sun the Butterflies will give place 

 to the noiseless Moths, some of which, as the Satur- 

 nia Atlas, are eight or nine inches across the wings, 

 and all of which are worthy of capture. The two- 

 winged Flies, or Diptera, he will see hovering over 

 woody places during the heat of the day, or settling 

 on the flowers in the sun ; the Forest-Flies (Taba- 

 nidce) will put his patience to the test, and in the 

 swamps the Mosquitoes will sorely try his temper, 

 which pernicious Gnat is the Culex Mosquito in the 

 West-Indies, and the Culex molestus in the Brazilian 

 forests. 



I. CLASS.— INSECTS (Insecta). 



Animal breathing by tracheae ; head furnished 

 with antennae ; eyes compound ; body in general 

 winged, composed of a series of segments disposed in 

 three portions, or head, thorax, and abdomen ; legs 

 six, jointed ; sexes distinct. Undergoing a regular 

 metamorphosis. 



I. SUB-CLASS. — Biting-Insects (Mandibulata). 

 Mouth furnished with transverse jaws. 



