Title: Marvels of insect life (microform) : a popular account of structure and habit
Identifier: cihm_76534 (find matches)
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors: Step, Edward, 1855-1931
Subjects: Insects; Insectes
Publisher: Toronto : W. Briggs
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Silver-Fish Insects. 45
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One othci' menibi-r' of the genus, figurfd on page 45, makes its home amonf; dead leaves in woods. The hronze-tish is an advanee upon the silver-fish in the matter of eyes. Its two compound eyes are large, and meet in the centre of the head. In front of the head are three other eyes, two of them cf a lengthened dumb-bell shape, and these are intermediate in character between simple and compound eyes. There is here a certain amount of development, for Holivar states that when it leaves the egg the bronze-fish has only simple e\es, wnich change to compoimd eyes as it gets older. Dr. Sharp, however, has observed that very .v'oung individuals of the woodland species have compound eyes. There mav, of course, be a difference between the two species in this respect. The scales with which these Insects are clothed easil\- separate from the body, and so the appearance of the Insect is quite altered, for when intact these make a mosaic pattern. Not so closely related is campodea,^ a minute white â¢>â 'â¢.'""«â¢â "^â¢â¢o.n m.â top above the snow-line, on the open sea-shore or in the darkness of deep caverns. Its total length, including its long antenna; and its longer tails, is about a quarter of an inch, but the body without these appendages is only half that length. These appendages are very hairv, and the tails are so much finer looking, that if tlie Insect were to tuck its legs under its body the hinder portion might easily be mistaken for the front ; and if its size allowed it to be publicly known, it would probably be described as double-headed. It has no eyes, and it is covered with delicate hairs instead of scales. The jaws are not evident, as in the silver-fish, owing to the mouth being sunk into the head, as in the springtails. The legs are compara- tively long, and the integuments are very soft and delicate. It is almost impossible to capture them without injury, and they die and shrink almost immediately. This has made it very difficult to get information as to development and life-history, or to compare specimens from other parts of the world. At present, therefore, it stands in the books as a species bv itself; but it is probable that with its wide distribution, which includes the whole of Europe, India, and North .\merica, several species are included under the one name.

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