OF THE ANNULOSA. 379 



est apode, et sa nymphe inactive est renfermee dans line 

 coque; mais son bee en forme de trompe est eminemment 

 articule, et rien de semblable ne se montre dans les Dipte- 

 res." The structure of the Aptera, in short, conducts us 

 from the Hemiptera to the Homaloptera, which comprise 

 such Dipterous insects as have the sheath of their rostrum 

 in like manner bivalve, but without articulations. 



The Dipterous insects are by Latreille connected with 

 the Lepidoptera ; and against the opinion of those who 

 may doubt the truth of this affinity he can always appeal 

 to certain Diptera, as the Psychoda phalanoides, forming 

 the genus Tinearia of Schellenberg, or to certain Lepi- 

 doptera, such as the Pterophori Latr. which are named 

 Phalhies-tipules by Degeer. Unless therefore these ob- 

 servations are so many idle fancies which have deceived 

 some of the most acute of naturalists; and unless it be 

 conceivable that these various idle fancies occurring to 

 different persons, can have fortuitously combined into a 

 regular order of affinity corresponding analogically with 

 the adjoining group of Mandibulata ■ ; unless, I repeat, we 

 can arrive at such conclusions, there is no other resource 

 left than to allow the series of Haustellata to be natural ; 

 and one, moreover, which in pursuance of a design re- 

 turns into itself. 



In all this I have scarcely touched on the metamor- 

 phosis, because 1 am sure that the foregoing table, show- 

 ing the analogical relations that exist between insects pro- 

 vided with a rostrum and those furnished with mandibles, 

 will more forcibly express to entomologists the regularity 



progeny, however, to be something sui generis and imperfect, the parent 

 being generated spontaneously in the earth. It is always either at the egg 

 or pupa state that Aristotle loses sight of the metamorphosis, and in ab- 

 sence of experiment has recourse to his fancy. 



