61 



large amount of the information given by practical agriculturists and gardeners has proved 

 valueless in cases where, if the particular species alluded to could only have been identi- 

 fied, it would have been of the greatest value in furthering subsequent investigations." 



But why, it may be asked, use Latin and Greek, why not use English] Firstly, because 

 English is not spoken in all parts of the globe, while Latin and Greek are the universal 

 languages of the learned in all countries, and secondly, because the very nature of these 

 languages particularly adapts them for the purpose. In Natural History it is frequently 

 necessary to distinguish very different and very approximate forms, and it is of the greatest 

 importance that the differences perceptible to the eye should be explained by precise terms 

 in a concise and readily understood language, and Latin has been unanimously chosen by 

 scientific men. When, however, as is occasionally the case, that tongue is deficient in a 

 characteristic expression, the example of the early writers is followed and application is 

 made to the Greek, which, from the euphony of its words and the fulness of its tones, is 

 well adapted to the construction of permanent names of orders and genera. 



There has been great difference of opinion among entomologists as to what orders 

 in the animal world the class INSECTA should include, and perhaps even more upon the 

 division of these orders into sub-orders. As Dr. Packard's " Guide to the Study of Insects" 

 is the only manual we have here, it will be well to follow the plan there presented in 

 drawing a short sketch of the class. 



Insects are divided into three orders : — 



1. Hexapoda, 



or true insects, which have six legs, and attain the perfect state; in which they generally 

 possess wings, through a series of stages of existence, or metamorphoses, known by the 

 names of the egg, the larva or caterpillar, the pupa or chrysalis, and the imago or perfect 

 insect. Upon examining the body of a perfect insect, it will be seen that the portions of 

 the body are more distinctly separated than they were during its earlier stages, and that 

 now the segments of the body are collected into three chief regions, — the head, the thorax, 

 and the abdomen. It is from this division of the body that the word insect is derived. 

 Aristotle called insects evro/xa, from evrejxveiv = to cut in, and the Roman writers, following 

 him, called them insecta, from i?isecare, which also means to cut in, and this name* has 

 been adopted by all later authors. 



2. Arachnjda, 



or spiders, which have the segments of the body grouped into two regions, and have eight 

 legs, but no wings; they pass through no metamorphoses, but grow by frequent moultings 

 of the skin. 



3. Myriapoda, 



or centipedes, which have the body worm-like, without wings, and the segments not grouped 

 into regions (except in the newly hatched young), have no metamorphoses, and grow by 

 the development of additional rings to the body. 



We will turn our attention to the first of these orders. The true insects are divided 

 up into seven sub-orders, according to the structure of their wings, and these again are 

 grouped together into two series, according to their relative rank and affinities. The first 

 and higher series have the body usually cylindrical, mouth parts more generally formed 

 for sucking, metamorphoses complete, larva usually cylindrical very unlike the adult. 

 The sub-orders embraced by this series are Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, and Liptera. 



