330 DIKBCTIOXS FOR THE MICROSCOPE. 



arc universally admired, and esteemed their peculiar ornament; but 

 place a butterHy's wing under a microscope, that avenue to unseen 

 glories in new worlds, and you will discover that nature has endowed 

 the most nimierous of the insect tribes with the same privilege, mul- 

 tiplying in them the forms, and diversifying the colouring of this kipd 

 of clothing beyond all parallel. The rich and velvet tints of the plu- 

 mage of birds are not superior to what the curious observer may disco- 

 ver in a variety of Lepidoptera ; and those many-coloured eyes which 

 deck so gloriously the peacock's tail are imitated with success by one 

 of our most connnon buttertiies. Feathers are thought to be peculiar 

 to birds ; but insects often imitate them in their autenncC, wings, and 

 even sometimes in the covering of their bodies. — We admire with 

 reason the coats of quadrupeds, whether their skins be covered witli 

 pile, or wool, or fur; yet are not perhaps aware that a vast variety ot 

 insects are clothed with all these kinds of hair, but infinitely finer and 

 more silky in texture, more brilliant and delicate in colour, and more 

 variously shaded than what any other animals can pretend to. 



" In variegation insects certainly exceed every other class of animated 

 beings. Nature, in her sportive mood, when painting them, sometimes 

 imitates the clouds of heaven ; at others, the meandring course of the 

 rivers of the earth, or the imdiilations of their waters: many arc 

 veined like beautiful marbles; others have the semblance of a robe of 

 the finest net-work thrown over them : some she blazons with heral- 

 dic insignia, giving them to bear in fields sable — azure — vert — gides — 

 argent and or, fesses — bars — bends — crosses — crescents — stars, and 

 even animals. On many, taking her rule and compasses, she draws 

 with precision mathematical figures : points, lines, angles, triangles, 

 squares, and circles. On others she pourtrays, with mystic hand, what 

 seem like hieroglyphic symbols, or inscribes them with the characters 

 and letters of various languages, often very correctly formed ; and 

 ■what is more extraordinary, she has registered in others figures which 

 correspond with several dates of the Christian era. 



" Nor has nature been lavish only in the apparel and ornament of 

 these privileged tribes; in other respects she has been eiprally un- 

 sparing of her favours. To some she has given fins like those offish, 

 or a beak resembling that of birds; to others horns, nearly the coun- 

 terparts of those of various quadrupeds. The bull, the stag, the rhi- 

 noceros, and even the hitherto vainly sought for unicorn, have in this 

 respect many representatives amongst insects. One is armed with 

 tusks not unlike those of the elephant; another is bristled with spines, 

 as the porcupine and hedge-hog with quills; a third is an armadillo in 

 miniature; the disproportioned hind legs of the kangaroo give a most 

 grotesque appearance to a fourth ; and the threatening head of the 

 snake is fbimd in a fifth. It would, however, be endless to produce all 



