OUDERS. §1 
fishes. The fifth, insecta, or insects. 
The sixth and last class, ver^mes, con- 
tains a great variety of animals, which, 
in comparison with those of the other 
classes, seem to be the least perfect of the 
animal creation ; they have no distinct 
head, few have any feet, and they appear 
to want the organs of hearing and sight ; 
earth- worms, oysters, &c., belong to this 
class. 
Each of these classes is again divided 
into orders ; but at present, I think, we 
had better attend to the orders of that 
class only which we are learning; — to 
what class do I allude ? 
Lucy. The insecta, or insects ; the 
fifth class of the animal kingdom. 
Mother. Very well, Lucy. 
Lucy. But what does insect mean ? 
Mother. It comes from insecoy a Latin 
word, signifying to cut into, because 
the bodies of insects are almost sepa- 
rated into two or more parts or rings, 
though connected together by a slender 
membrane. In the same way the term 
E 5 
