The Insect Folk

Chapter 44

~Audubon~ (aw"-do-bon), John James. A very famous student of birds and their ways. In his great book, "The Birds of America," which was published in 1827, there are many large colored drawings made by himself.

~Beech-nuts~ Small, three-cornered nuts that grow on beech trees, and that are very sweet and good.

~Breeding-place~ The place where young animals are born.

~Brood~ A family of young animals.

~Caddice~, or ~Caddis fly~ (kad"-is fl[=i]). Sometimes called "case fly," from the case or sh.e.l.l which the larva makes about itself; "caddice" is another way of saying "case."

~Camera~ (kam"-e-ra). An instrument for taking photographs.

~Cannibal~ (kan"-[)i]-bal). A human being who eats human flesh. Any animal that eats others of its own kind.

~Cargo~ (kar"-go). The goods or merchandise or whatever is carried in a ship.

~Carnivorous~ (kar-niv"-[=o]-rus). (L. carnivorus = flesh-eating.) Applied to animals that feed on flesh, and plants that feed on insects.

~Cast~ The cast-off skin of an insect that keeps the form of the insect"s body.

~Characteristic~ (kar-ak-te-ris"-tik). Showing the peculiar qualities of a person or thing.

~Chitinous~(k[=i]"-tin-us). Hard, h.o.r.n.y, and sh.e.l.l-like.

~Cicada~ (si-k[=a]"-da). (L. cicada = tree cricket.) A popular name for insects, like the gra.s.shopper, locust, and cricket, which make a creaking or chirping noise.

~Cochineal~ (koch"-i-n[=e]l or koch-i-n[=e]l"). A crimson dyestuff made of the dried bodies of certain small insects. The insect is also called cochineal.

~Coc.o.o.n~ (ko-koon"). (L. concha = a sh.e.l.l.) The silky envelope which the larvae of many insects spin to cover themselves.

~Compact~ (kom-pakt"). (L. compactus = joined together.) Closely and firmly united.

~Compound~ (kom"-pound). Made up of two or more parts.

~c.o.xa~ (kok"-sa). (L. c.o.xa = the hip.) The first segment of an insect"s _leg_, sometimes called the hip.

~Crevices~ (krev"-is-es). (L. crepare = to break, burst, crack.) Narrow openings or cracks.

~Descendant~ (d[=e]-sen"-dant). (L. descendere = to descend.) People or animals who have come from earlier people or animals.

~Ear drum~ ([=e]r" drum). A membrane stretched across inside the ear.

~Ejected~ ([=e]-jekt"-ed). (L. ejicere = to throw out.) Thrown out, driven away.

~Emaciated~ ([=e]-m[=a]"-shi-[=a]t-ed). (L. emaciare = to make lean.) Very thin and wasted.

~Emerge~ (e-merj"). (L. emergere = to rise out.) To appear, to come into sight.

~Ephemeridae~ (ef-[=e]-mer"-i-d[=e]). (Gr. word = "lasting but a day.") The name of the May fly order.

~Facets~ (fas"-ets). Little faces; small surfaces.

~Femur~ (f[=e]"-mer). (L. femur = a thigh.) The long bone of the upper leg above the knee. The third segment in the insect"s leg.

~Formidable~ (for"-mi-da-bl). (L. formidabilis = causing fear.) Hard to deal with; difficult to overcome.

~Fry~ (fr[=i]). The young of fishes; used for any small animals.

~Funnel~ (fun"-el). The shape of a hollow cone.

~Gauzy~ (gaw"-zi). Very fine, thin, and transparent.

~Ghosts~ (g[=o]sts). The spirits or shadows of the dead.

~Gills~ The breathing organs of any animal that lives in the water.

~Gorge~ (gorj). To feed greedily; to stuff one"s self.

~Gossamer~ (gos"-a-mer). A fine filmy substance, like the cobweb of spiders.

~Grub~ The larva of an insect.

~Hearth~ (h[)a]rth). The part of the floor of a room where the fire is built.

~Hemiptera~ (h[=e]-mip"-te-ra). (Gr. = half-wing.) The name of an insect order including many kinds, all known as bugs.

~Incomplete~ (in-kom-pl[=e]t"). Not fully finished or developed.

~Injurious~ (in-jew"-ri-us). (L. injuriasus = acting unjustly or wrongly.) Something wrong or harmful.

~Inquisitive~ (in-kwiz"-i-tiv). Curious and prying.

~Insatiable~ (in-s[=a]"-shi-a-bl). (L. insatiabilis = that cannot be satisfied.) Not easily satisfied; very greedy.

~Isingla.s.s~ ([=i]"-zing-glas). Thin, transparent sheets of mica.

~Joint~ The place where two things or parts of one thing are joined or united.

~Keel~ (k[=e]l). The lowest part of the bottom of a ship.

~Kettle drum~ (ket"-l drum). A musical instrument made of a hollow bra.s.s hemisphere over which is stretched parchment. This is sounded by blows from a mallet or stick.

~Larva~ (lar"-va); pl. ~Larvae~ (lar"-v[=e]). The young insect.

~Lock~ To fasten in place.

~Locust~ (l[=o]"-kust). A shorthorned gra.s.shopper.

~Mantis~ (man"-tis); pl. ~Mantes~ (man"-t[=e]z). (Gr. = prophet.) An orthopterous insect that holds its arms as if in prayer.

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