220 EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE. 



included in a system of arteries and veins ; but the pro- 

 ducts of digestion are carried to the most distant parts of 

 the body through this extraordinary development of the' 

 stomach or intestine (both in one), and through this series 

 of blind canals, by means of their own irregular con- 

 tractions, aided by the muscular movements of the body 

 and limbs. 



You would scarcely forgive me if I took do opportunity 

 of showing you the Cheese-mite, that first object of wonder- 

 to every child that looks through a magnify ing-glass. And 

 it could not be more suitably introduced than in con- 

 nexion with its cousins, the Spiders and Harvestmen. 

 Well, fortunately, we need not search far for specimens; 

 for here, in the cavity of this almost defunct skeleton of a 

 cheese, we can find as many millions as you can reasonably 

 desire to select from. Here is a fat one; we will take him. 



You can see with a pocket lens that it has a plump, 

 polished, oval body, of a pellucid white hue, and eight 

 short red legs ; but for more than this we must go to 

 the tube. Look at him now, as he lies on his back,, 

 helplessly sprawling and throwing his feeble legs about, 

 in the live-box. 



His oval body is divided by a transverse furrow into 

 thorax and abdomen, like a Beetle's; and there is another 

 division between the head and thorax, wherein it differs 

 from the Spider's. The first two pairs of legs are separ- 

 ated by an interval from the last two pairs ; they are all of 

 a translucent pale red hue, as is also the head : each con- 

 sists of seven short joints, the last of which has a sort of 

 heart-shaped pad, something like a horse's hoof, and a 

 single hooked claw, which works against its sole. 



The structure of the head cannot be seen satisfactorily 

 otherwise than by crushing the Mite in the compressorium;. 

 a process which, when we remember how many thousands 

 we crush down in our oral compressorium every time we 

 eat ripe cheese, needs not excite much compunction. We 



