76 



EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE. 



cliffs that border the sea-shore may often be found some 

 wingless but active Insects, which are endowed with the 

 power of leaping in great perfection. From their hinder 

 extremity being furnished with long projecting bristles, 

 they are sometimes called Bristle-tails, but naturalists 

 designate the genus Jfachilis. If you can get one suffi- 

 ciently still to examine it, you will be delighted with the 

 lustre of its clothing, which appears dusted all over with 

 a metallic powder of rich colours, — red, brown, orange 

 and yellow, foiled by dull lead-grey in places. 



EBISTLE-TAIL. 



(Slightly enlarged.) 



If you touch one of these nimble leapers, though ever 

 so lightly, you will see the result on your linger-ends ; 

 for they will be found covered with a thin stratum of the 

 finest dust, which displays the coloured metallic reflections 

 seen on the insect. By touching one with a plate of glass 

 instead of your linger, you will get the same dust to 

 adhere to this transparent medium, by applying which 

 to the microscope you may at once discern the marvellous 

 nature of the raiment with which the little creature is 

 bedecked. 



The dust is now seen to be composed of myriads of 

 thin scales, mostly regular and symmetrical in their forms, 

 though varying exceedingly among themselves in this re- 

 spect. Some are heart-shaped, some shovel-shaped, some 

 round, oval, elliptical, half-round, half-elliptical, long and 



