COLEOFTEIiA — BEETLES. 227 



is still one of the most extensive, containing nearly 

 40,000 distinct species. 



There are some discrepancies in the charac- 

 ter of a few of the insects still necessarily included 

 in this order, even in its eliminated state. For 

 instance, some few species are apterous, or without 

 wings, in one sex, as the Glow-worm and Dribus ; 

 and some few of the genera of Carabidce and Cur- 

 culionidcB have elytra, or wing-cases, hut no win^s ; 

 and in some the elytra are joined, and cannot he 

 lifted or opened. Still one grand feature, that of a 

 nearly complete metamorphosis, exists in all the in- 

 sects at present retained in the order ; that is to say, 

 the larva state is entirely distinct in form from that 

 of the perfect insect ; while in the genera that have 

 been separated from it the larvae present nearly all 

 the features that appear in the perfected form, 

 except the wings, which are gradually developed 

 without any striking metamorphosis, like that which 

 takes place in true Coleoptera. 



Several modern naturalists have sought to alter 

 the venerable term of Aristotle, and introduce one 

 more suitable, perhaps, in some respects, but by 

 which we should lose that fine aroma of antiquity 

 that clings about the well-worn term of the learned 

 Stagyrite. Pabricius, for instance, adopted the term 



