DEFINITION OF THE TERM INSECT. 39 



111 looking over the table, and comparing the different 

 species that compose it with each other, you will perceive 

 that the largest insects of the two sections of Hemiptera, 

 of the Lepidoptera as to their body merely, of the Hy- 

 menopter-a and Diptera, in general size fall considerably 

 short of those of the other orders ; and that certain indi- 

 viduals of the Orthoptera and Aptera bear away the 

 palm in this respect from all the rest In the Coleoptera 

 the giants, with the exception of the Goliathi, are chiefly 

 to be found amongst the timber devourers in the Lamel- 

 licorn and Capricorn tribes. Of orthopterous insects the 

 Phasmidce present the most striking examples of magni- 

 tude : and in the Neuroptera, the Agrionidce of great 

 length. 



It is worthy of remark here, that although the tropical 

 species of a genus usually exceed those of colder climates 

 in size, the Gryllotalpa of Brazil is very considerably 

 smaller than that of Europe: whether this is the case 

 with the rest of the cricket tribe I have not had an op- 

 portunity of ascertaining. The Lepidoptera, though often 

 remarkable for the vast expansion of their " sail-broad 

 vans," if you consider only their bodies, never attain to 

 gigantic bulk. Even the hawk-moths [Sphinx L.), though 

 usually very robust, make no approach to the size of 

 the great beetles, or the length of some of the spectres 

 (Phasma) and dragon-flies (Agrionidce). With regard 

 to the superficial contents of their wings, a considerable 

 difference obtains in different species where they expand 

 to the same length — for the secondary wings are some- 

 times smaller than the primary, and sometimes they equal 

 them in size. In some instances, also, the latter although 

 long are narrow, and in others they are nearly as wide 

 as long : regard, therefore, should be had to their ex- 



