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fon is to be attributed to the minutenefs of the flings, which make 

 fo fmall a wound, that the Ikin, efpecially that part next the fur- 

 face of the body, clofes immediately upon the extraction of the 

 lling. 



If any perfon fliould be defirous to follow my example in the ex- 

 amination of the Gnat's fting, I caution him to arm himfelf with 

 patience in the purfuit. I have often opened the flieath or cafe 

 incloflng thefe ftings, and taken them out as they lay regularly 

 placed betide each other, but to feparate the four parts or pieces of 

 this fling, and to place them before the microfcope, fo as to give a 

 dillindl view of them to others, requires no fmall labour and pains. 

 I have deftroyed above an hundred Gnats in accomplilliing this 

 purpofe, and have been obliged to repeat my obfervations many 

 times, for though I could fee all the pieces, and did my bell to fix 

 them before different micro fcopes, it often happened, that while I 

 was bulled with one of them, I lofl light of another ; for which 

 reafon, I was obliged to make new trials and obfervations many days 

 together. 



I thought it would not be amifs in this place to give a figure of one 

 of the two llings which the large Flies, commonly called Horfe-flies, 

 carry in a fheath in their heads near the mouth ; which, as drawn 

 from the microfcope is fliewn at Jig. 15, AB C D, and I have caufed 

 this drawing to be made, not only to fhew the nature of this fling, 

 being of a flat fhape and very fharp, and with which the animal 

 torments horfes to that degree, that they kick and leap about the 

 field even at the fight of that Fly, but alfo to point out that as the 

 lling from D to C, is exceeding thin and fharp ; fo from C to B, 

 where it tapers to a point, it grows thicker and thicker to the very 

 extremity at B, by which means it is of the fame llrength through- 

 out ; fo that, in a word, we cannot but obferve the greatell perfec- 

 tion in the formation of the fmallefl animals. 



The feet of a Gnat, and its whole body, are covered with very 

 beautiful feathers, one of which, drawn from the microfcope, is 



