CHAPTER II. 
ORDERS OF INSECTS. 
cSf^HE following are the Orders usually adopted by 
^ Entomologists:— (i) Rhyncota, (2) Orthoptera, 
(3) Neuroptera, (4) Lepidoptera, (5) Diptera, 
(6) Hymenoptera, (7) Coleoptera. The first-named 
Order derives its name from characters belonging 
to the mouth (pvyxog, “a snout” or “beak”); the 
remaining five from characters belonging to the 
wings. 
Although, as a general rule, all insects will fall 
naturally into one or other of these great Orders, there 
are some whose position is more or less problematical. 
Those curious little creatures that you may often see 
under stones and dead leaves, hopping actively to get 
out of the way, the Spring-tails ( Poduridce ) and their 
allies, the Silver-scales (. Lepismidce ), have been by some 
regarded as forming an order by themselves—the 
Thysanura ; but Sir John Lubbock, who has for many 
years studied these little creatures, does not regard 
them in the strictest sense as true insects. The 
minute parasites on different birds—familiar to all who 
have carried partridges in their pockets—called Bird- 
lice, are evidently allied to the true lice, parasites upon 
mammiferous animals, in their general structure, but 
