How To Collect And Observe Insects (1863) - Tapa dura

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In the Insects again, there are three modes of disposing the rings, and their appendages: 1. Where the number of segments is indefinite, and much like each other in form, supporting both thoracic and abdominal legs; as in the order of Myriapoda, 2. Where the head and thorax are closely united; and there are eight pairs of legs attached to the thorax alone, as in the A rachnida, 3. Where there are three distinct regions to the body; the head, thorax and abdomen, as in the I nseota. Moreover the true insects have three pairs of legs attached to the thorax; and are winged. The Myriapods grow by the addition of rings, after hatching from the egg; the Arachnids by frequent moultings of the skin; while the winged insects pass through a distinct metamorphosis. The young insect after being hatched from the egg is called the larva, from theL atin term meaning a mask, since it was the ancient belief that it concealed beneath its skin the form of the perfect insect. When full-fed, the pupa-skin rapidly forms beneath the tegument, and the insect in that form escapes through a slit in the back of the larva. The perfect insect is often called the imago. The larval state of insects which resembles worms, has also an analogous form to theM yriapods ;so spiders are analogous to Crustacea, while reminding us of the pupa state of the winged insects. Moreover, worms and Crustacea are, generally speaking, aquatic, breathing by gills, while insects are terrestrial and breathe by pores in the side of the body which communicates with a complex system of air tubes, including tubular blood vessels. The order of winged-insects is subdivided into seven divisions, occupying an intermediate rank between orders and families, and called by naturalists suborders. Of these theE ymenoptera seem to be highest in the scale, and theN europtera the lowest. Before characterizing these suborders, a
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)