22 AMERICAN MUSEUM GUIDE LEAFLETS 



of 8 to 10 mm., — almost half an inch. The Malaria Mosquito is 

 from (i to 8 nun. long. 



The body of the mosquito, like that of all other insects, is covered 

 with a dense, though very thin, continuous layer of a hard substance, 

 Body-covering " <lli,m -" secreted by the true, cellular skin, or hypo- 

 dermis, which lies underneath it. The chit in not only 

 affords protection to the body, lust also gives support to the limbs and 

 wing-veins and forms in fact an external skeleton, on the inner side of 





FIG 16. AN ANOPHELES MOSQUITO EMERGING FROM ITS F J UPA CASE 



Head, thorax and abdomen arc free, but the win<i< are not entirely freed and 

 tlic long legs arc -till partly coiled within their pupal integument. Photograph 

 from life, greatly enlarged. 



which the muscles of the insect are attached. Wherever rigidity is 

 required, the chitinous coat is thickened, hut elsewhere it remains thin 

 to permit movement of the body segments. 



Three main regions of the body may he easily distinguished, the small 

 Divisions rounded head with its appendages, the relatively large tho- 

 ofBody rax, and the elongated abdomen (Figs. 1 and 17). Thehead, 

 which is connected with the body by means of a rather slender neck. 



