Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's Note

Italicized text is represented as _Text_.

THE

LIFE OF AN INSECT;

BEING

A HISTORY OF THE CHANGES OF INSECTS FROM THE EGG TO THE PERFECT BEING.

PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF

THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL LITERATURE AND EDUCATION,

APPOINTED BY THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING

CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR THE

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE;

SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY,

GREAT QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS,

AND 4, ROYAL EXCHANGE;

AND BY ALL BOOKSELLERS.

LONDON:

R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.

CONTENTS.

PART I.--THE EGG.

PAGE

Chapter I.--_The Nest._--The Microscope and Telescope--Terror
caused by Insects--Death-watch--Life-boat of Eggs--The
Water Beetle--Floating Ark of Eggs--The Gnat--her
difficulties--her Egg-raft--The Sand-boring Wasp--Towers
of rubbish--Captive Caterpillars--Wood-boring Bee--An
Insect Nursery--Escape of the young--Tapestry Bee--A Nest
lined with Poppy-flower Petals--Enchanted Leaf-tubes--The
spell broken--The Insect Sorcerer--Nest of Down made by a
Moth--The Lackey Moth--The Ichneumons--Their usefulness 1

Chapter II.--_Structure and contents of the Egg._--Its
Shape--Remarkable mistake about an Insect--The
Lace-wing Fly--Eggs carved on their surface--Colours of
Eggs--Changes of Colour--Eggs of the Garden Spider--Pretty
Nests--Anatomy of the Egg--Contents of the Egg 43

Chapter III.--_Life begins in the Egg._--Spring
Time--Influence of Heat and Cold--Eggs resist great
Cold--The time of Hatching--Escape of the new
Creature--Connexion between Plants and Insects--Changes
in the Egg--A Spider's Mother's love--Experiment with two
Spiders--Anecdote of an Earwig--Enormous number of Eggs of
different Insects 57

PART II.--THE LARVA.

Chapter I.--_The Young Larva._--Affection of a Field-Bug--An
Earwig Mother--Anecdote of a Spider--Ant-Nurses--Varieties
of Larvæ--The Larva born--Forms of Larvæ--Larvæ of
Butterflies--Structure of a Larva 79

Chapter II.--_Habits of the Larva._--The Lion of the
Aphides--its Courage--The Ant-Lion--The "Giant Grim" of
Insects--Formation of its Trap--An Insect Excavator--The
Den--A Stone in it--A captive Ant--Principle of
Compensation--The Sand-Wasp's Den--A Warrior-Wasp--An
Insect Duel--The Kakerlac and the Bandit Wasp--The
Corpse carried home--A Wasp clad in the Wings and
Limbs of Insects--The Tiger Beetle Larva--Dragon-Fly
Larva--its curious Mask--a ferocious creature--Ravages of
Cockchafer Larvæ--Lamp Oil got from Larvæ--"Old Father
Long-legs"--The Gamma Moth and its Larva--Magical Origin
of--The excessive numbers of the Larvæ--Destruction of
Trees by Larvæ--Killed by rain--The Weevil--Insects on
board Ship--Appetite of Larvæ--Silk-Worm Larva--Larvæ
enormous Eaters--Growth of Larvæ 93

Chapter III.--_Moulting of the Larva._--Escape of Larva
from its old Skin--Arrangement of the Hairs--Danger
attending the Moult--Colours of Larvæ--Influence of
Sun-light--Curious appearance of the Coats of Larvæ--Larvæ
like Twigs--Singularly coated Larva 146

Chapter IV.--_Respiration of the Larva._--Experiment
with Larvæ--Insects do not breathe by their
Mouths--Breathing Mechanism of Larvæ--Spiracles--Aquatic
Larvæ--Inhabitants of the Ditch and Pool--Rat-tailed
Larvæ--Remarkable Organ--Chameleon-Fly Larva--Larva of
the May-Fly--Their under-water Cells--Singular organs of
Respiration--Complete Armour of Dragon-Ely Larva 157

Chapter V.--_Means of Defence of the Larva._--Leaf-dwelling
Larvæ--Larva clad in Rags--"Hickory-horned Devil"--Larva
with a Squirt--Shaggy-coated Larvæ--Frozen
Larvæ--Dwellings of Larvæ--Remarkable Australian Larva
cases--Larvæ in Winter 178

Chapter VI.--_Preparation for a Change._--Age of the
Larva--its attempts at concealment--Cocoons of
Larvæ--Silk-Worm Cocoon--Extraordinary precaution of a
Larva--Case of Bark-skin--Anecdote of a Larva--Suspension
of the Larva, horizontally and perpendicularly--Larva of
Meat-Fly--Last action of the Larva 194

PART III.--THE PUPA.

Chapter I.--_The Transformation._--Meaning of the word
_Pupa_--Various names of Pupæ--Process of the
change--Remarkable feat of a Pupa--Time occupied in the
Change 213

Chapter II.--_What is a Pupa?_--Characters of a Pupa--Active
and Inactive--Dissection of a Pupa--Contents
of Pupa-case--Singular Pupa--Goedart's strange
Representations of Pupæ--Pupæ from Surinam--Colours of
Pupæ--Aurelia and Chrysalis--Ground Pearl 225

Chapter III.--_Respiration of the Pupa._--Spiracles
of Pupæ--Anecdote from De Geer--Air-Cell under
Water--Difficulty of the task--Pupæ with an Air-tube 239

Chapter IV.--_Varieties and Age of the Pupa._--Different
kinds of Pupæ--Age of the Pupa--Pupæ hatched in a
Hot-house--Butterflies in Winter--Pupæ hatched by a
Hen--Glass Eggs--Influence of Warmth and Cold--Dreams
of Immortality--Réaumur's mistake--Varnishing
Pupæ--Preservation of Eggs--Falling of the "Manna"--Final
changes of the Pupa 251

Chapter V.--_The Great Change._--An Insect Prisoner--Escape
of the Cossus--Escape of a Fly--A guide-line
to the Captive--Cocoon of Emperor Moth--Escape
backwards--Chemical solvent--Escape of Ants--Huber's
Ant-hill--Assistant Ants--Aquatic Insects--The
Caddis-worm--Singular escape--The Gnat--A time
of Peril--Blood-Worms--A curious spectacle--The
Dragon-Fly--Phenomena of the Change--The Insect
new-horn--Curious facts about Pupæ 273

PART IV.--THE IMAGO.

Chapter I.--_The New-born Perfect Insect._--The
Resurrection--Meaning of the word Imago--Curious aspect
of New-born Insect--Conclusion of the Dragon-Fly's
History--Structure of a Wing--how expanded--Deformed
Wings--Exception in the Ephemeræ--Dance of the
Ephemeræ--Insects without Wings--Showers and Stains of
Blood--Aphis-Lion Fly--Insects in the Imago state do not
increase in size 309

Chapter II.--_The Structure and Organs of the Imago._--Anatomy
and Physiology--Insects have not Bones--Leather-coated
Jack--The Head and Thorax--The Eyes--simple and
compound--Wonders of an Eye--Anatomy of the Eye--Immense
number of Eyes--Remarkable Provision--Experiments on the
Eyes of Bees--Beauty of the Eyes--The _Antennæ_--their
Function, perhaps the Nose--Insects Weather-wise--Insects
in Rain--Organs of Speech--Anecdote of Bees--Various
Functions of Antennæ--The Mouth in Insects--Parts of
the Mouth--Spiral Tube of the Butterfly--Taste and
Smell in Insects--The Trunk--Wings--Membranous--Scale
covered--Wing-Cases--Experiments on Flying--Painted
Wings--The glory of the Butterfly--The Legs
of Insects--Cleanliness of Insects--The Water
Boatman--Kangaroo Beetle--The Abdomen--The Sting of the
Bee--Insect with a Leg in its Tail 335

Chapter III.--_Respiration of the Imago._--Experiments upon
the Breathing of Insects--Chloroform--Coal-gas--their
Effects--Contest between a Spider and a Blue-Bottle
Fly--Air-Pipes of Insects--Multitude of Air-Tubes--
Circulation of Blood in Insects--An Insect's Pulse 398

Chapter IV.--_Food and Death of the Imago._--Vegetable
Eaters--Carnivorous Insects--The Tigers to Insects--Fasts
of Insects--The Last Duty--Insect Forethought--The
Creator's Wisdom and Love--God does not despise Little
Things 408

ILLUSTRATIONS.--DIRECTIONS TO BINDER.

Egg-rafts of the Gnat 1

Ferocious Larvæ of Dragon-Fly 79

Insects escaping from the Pupa condition 213

Evening Flight of Ephemeræ 307

THE LIFE OF AN INSECT.