The System of Natural History Volume 2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1800 Excerpt: ...of the body is coal black: the legs are siiort, and the feelers very slender, consisting of sive joints: it is sometimes found on the Bermudas cedars, which are planted in our gardens. C H AT. IV. OF INSECTS WITH MEMBRANACEOUS WINGS, WHICH ARE FOUR IN NUMBER, AND RETICULATED WITH VEINS. THE Fanorpa, so called by Linnaus, is the Scorpion Fly: that taken notice of by Mouftt is about the size of a common flie, and of the colour of honey, only the top joint of the tail isjalack, and armed with a double sting: the wings are like those of the Grasshopper, and its walk is like that of a crab: that which other authors call a Scorpion Flie has an oblong roundish body, and a small head, and a hard horny oblong lnout, bending downwards: the seelers are bristly, black, and consist of thirty joints: the back is brown, the sides yellow, and the wings white, with some dusky spots disposed in transverse rows, forming a fort of line t the tail is articulated, and is terminated by a weapon resembling that of a Scorpion: this is doubtless the fame insect with that of Mouses. Linnaus fays that it has a horny cylindric snout, and a shelly tail., The Raphidja, or sharp-tailed Flie, has a homey flattish head, aud a bristly sharp tail, and is of the fame size as the Scorpion Flie, pretty much resembling it in shape: the head is black, smooth, and narrow on the hinder part, and the breast is narrow, rounded, and black: the seelers are slender, white, and consist of a great number of joints; the body is slender, oblong, and of a brown colour, variegated with traniverse white lines: the wings' are thin and membranaceous, being reticulated, and having each an oblong brown spot towards the edge. From the hinder part of the body of the semale there grows a long, sharp, slender, and bend...