118 



H. WALLIS KEW : AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF 



1. Hooke, R. — Micrographia : or some Physiological Descrip- 

 tions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London, 

 1665. 



Hooke writes of a " Crab-like Insect." He saw it walking on a 

 book he was reading ; and, having a microscope by him, lost 

 no time in making a description and drawing of it (fig. 1). No 

 locality is mentioned, but from what we know of Hooke, it was 



Fig. 1. 



Reduced outline of the "Crab-like Insect " of Hooke (1), pi. xxxiii. 

 fig. 2. [ = Cheiridium museorum (Leach)]. 



certainly in England, and presumably in London, that the 

 observation was made. He relates, amongst other things, that 

 the creature had ten legs, eight of which, AAA A, were those on 

 which it walked ; and the other two, BB, which were the fore- 

 most, were formed in the manner of crabs' claws, the ends of them 

 being furnished with a pair of pincers, CC, which the animal did 

 open and shut at pleasure ; nor did it want other hands, having 

 another pair of claws, EE, very near placed to its mouth, and 



