330 OFFENSIVE WEAPONS. 



eggs, pierces through the clay defences of a "mason" wasp's 

 nest. Those of other species are long or short, strong or weak, 

 in accordance with the substances they are meant to penetrate. 

 In the above objects we have examined a few only of the 

 tools possessed by insects ; and a few of their weapons will 

 follow in our magnifying show. 



/ o 



Here, as seen in the microscope, is a small needle, a 

 needle of human manufacture. Its point appears " above a 

 quarter of an inch in breadth, not round nor flat, but irregular 

 and unequal ; and the surface, so smooth and bright to the 

 naked eye, seems full of ruggedness, holes, and scratches, like 

 that of a rough iron bar."* 



Beside this clumsy piece of workmanship is now introduced 

 another, by an infinitely more skilful hand, which exhibits " a 

 polish most amazingly beautiful, without the least flaAA r , blemish, 

 or inequality, and ending in a point too fine to be visible."f 

 This we might suppose to be our insect weapon a natural as 

 contrasted with an artificial needle; but no such thing; it is 

 not the weapon, only the weapon's sheath. This opens longi- 

 tudinally; and now we discover what it enclosed, viz., two 

 darts, distinctly separate even to the base. We can see further, 

 that these darts are each of them armed with ten saw-like 

 teeth, such as occasion the instrument, sheath and all, to 

 remain frequently within the substance wherein it may be 

 plunged. In truth, this is a formidable-looking tool of (or- 

 * Hooke's ' Micrographia.' f Hooke, 



