INSECTA — LOUSE. 821 



susceptible of different sensations, my admiration of the Supreme Intelli- 

 gence is much more heightened than by the contemplation of the structure 

 of the most gigantic animals." " We attach, and with reason," says Reau- 

 mur, " a kind of consequence to the knowledge of the faults and perfections 

 of the productions in the fine arts, such as poetry, music, painting, sculp- 

 ture, and architecture; but of the works of the Lord of nature, of this 

 Master of masters, we scarcely think, or that there is any thing wonderful 

 in their structure. There can indeed be no room for criticism, where there 

 is nothing but what is admirable, and where the most perfect finite intelli- 

 gences, the more they study such objects, the more they discover of their 

 wonders. Yet this knowledge, so well calculated to elevate the mind, and 

 lead it to the contemplation of the source from which all these wonders pro- 

 ceed, is regarded by many as frivolous, or of little importance. But he who 

 looks upon an insect as merely a particle of moving wood, or putrid matter, 

 and who has no idea of the marvellous organs of these minute animals, is 

 in a state of ignorance far more gross and blameable, than the man who 

 6hould confound the most finished productions in the fine arts, with the most 

 rude and shapeless masses." 



THE LOUSE. i 



In examining the human louse with the microscope, its external deformity 

 first strikes us with disgust ; the shape of the fore part of the head is some- 

 what oblong ; that of the hind part somewhat round ; the skin is hard, and, 

 being stretched, transparent, with here and there several bristly hairs ; in 

 the fore part is a proboscis or sucker, which is seldom visible; on each side 

 of the head are antenna? or horns, each divided into five joints, covered with 

 bristly hair ; and several white vessels are seen through these horns ; behind 

 these are the eyes, which seem to want those divisions observable in other 

 insects, and appear encompassed with some few hairs ; the neck is very 

 short, and the breast is divided into three parts; on each side of which are 

 placed six legs, consisting of six joints covered also with bristly hairs ; the 

 ends of the legs are armed with two smaller and larger ruddy claws, serving 

 those insects as a finger and thumb, by which they catch hold of such ob- 

 jects as they approach ; the end of the body terminates in a cloven tail, 

 while the sides are all over hairy ; the whole resembling clear parchment, 

 and, when roughly pressed, cracking with a noise. 



When wo *-ake a closer view, its white veins, and other internal parts, 

 appear; as likewise a most wonderful motion in its intestines, from the 



1 Pediculus humamiSjhiy. The order Parasita, under which this genus comes, has 

 six feet and no wings ; abdomen destitute of articulated and moveable appendages ; two 

 nr four small eyes ; mouth'in a great many, interior, presenting externally, either a snout 

 or nipper, inclosing a retractile sucker, or two membranous lips with hooted mandibles 



69* 



