118 
THE SUBSTITUTE. 
struffgles so common in the so- 
cieties of larger animals and 
among; the nations of mankind. 
Some insect-families live in sun- 
shine and feed on nectar ; some in 
darkness and filth, preying on car- 
rion ; some are timid, but out of 
sight of their enemies pass their 
lives in enjoyment, with no 
weapons of attack atid few of de- 
fence ; others are hold, violent in 
passion, and cruel in deed, and 
are armed with horns, and slings, 
and fanged jaws. The insect 
world is a world of activities. 
Each individual has work to do, 
and is provided with the tools he 
will want and the instinct to use 
them. If war be his avocation, he 
is supplied with lance and sword, 
with which he fights bravely, con- 
ducting his predatory expeditions 
with caution, but without fear or 
mercy. If he be a carpenter he 
carries with him an augur or saw ; 
if a mason he is competent to his 
work, and has the right tool to exe- 
cute it skilfully. Some are clothed 
in gay garments, and spend a short 
life in selfish gratification ; some 
are clothed in disguise to protect 
them from their enemies ; some 
have a lustre to frighten their pur- 
suers, and some an armour which 
defies their power. The caddis- 
worms of the angler are the larvae 
of PhryganecB, andin the clear, shal- 
low pools, where they are found, 
look like sticks, straws or stones, 
according to their species, though 
a more close examination will de- 
tect the projected head and legs 
quickly drawn into the rough case 
on the approach of danger. Other 
insects are protected from the scru- 
tinizing search of their enemies by 
their resemblance in colour or form 
to the leaves they inhabit, of which 
we have an example in the wings 
of the lappet moth {Gastropacha 
Quercifolia), which resemble 
brow'n leaves both in form and 
colour. The brilliant hues of 
some insects attractive to us are 
probably given that they may 
dazzle the eyes of their enemies 
and escape their attacks. Some 
insects are covered with armour, 
like many of the Coleoptera ; some 
are the Pachydermata of the insect 
world, and are by their thick skins 
protected from injury, like the 
common forest- fly {Ilippobosca 
equina) \ some are as well pro- 
tected by spines, bristles, or stiflf 
hairs ; while others, like the 
timber-boring beetle [Anobium 
pertinax) and the spiders, simu- 
late death to escape the mur- 
derous attack of their enemies. 
The inhabitants of such a world, 
designed by Omnipotence and an 
essential part of the great scheme 
of organised life, cannot be unin- 
teresting or unprofitable objects of 
study for the highest intelligence, 
though they are among the small- 
est of living beings. None of 
them are vocal, and few produce 
sound audible to man, but they 
have means of communication one 
with another, and exhibit all those 
evidences of sensibility, passion 
and affection, wbich, W'hen ob- 
served in the reasoning creature — 
man, are justly believed to Ire the 
principal and most important 
study of the human mind. — Ec- 
lectic Review, 
Notes on NoctU/e: from 
Guf.nee’s Noctueutes. 
[ Continue J from p. 83. ] 
Pachetra. 
This genus consists of a single 
European species. The larva. 
