consists of nine segments, some of which are often fused together. It
contains the various internal organs, of which the most important are those
of Digestion and Reproduction. The _Digestive System_ (Plate I., fig. 10)
consists of the following organs: A, the _oesophagus_, or throat; C, the
_sucking stomach_; D, the _ventriculus_ or stomach; E, the _small
intestine_; G, the _cæcum_; H, the _colon_; K, the _biliary vessels_; N,
the _salivary vessels_. The function of the _sucking stomach_ is to exhaust
the air in the throat and proboscis, and thus to cause the ascent of the
fluids into the stomach when the insect is feeding.