MICROSCOPIC ARCHITECTS. 6^7 



the wonderful yisions presented to us by the greatly improved micro- 

 scopes of to-day ! 



Although Melicerta ringejis was known so long ago, yet Mr. Gosse 

 was the first to describe the manner of its building its abode. The 

 few who have made these microscopic creatures a study have recorded 

 their labors in many volumes, scarcely attainable to the ordinary lover 

 of natural history. 



The animals figured and described here are as seen through a 

 binocular microscope, with a magnifying power of 160 diameters. 

 This power enables us to clearly define each separate brick in the tube 

 of Melicerta, and to note the firmness and regularity of the structure. 

 Although built of round bricks, yet it is so constructed that there are 

 no interstices or spaces between. No bird, no other animal, not even 

 man himself, can excel the beautiful w^orkmanship of this tiny creat- 

 ure, scarcely visible to the naked eye, yet, under the microscope, as- 

 suming vast proportions. She not only builds her house, but manu- 

 factures her own brick, and lays them up one by one with no workmen 

 to assist. The house is usually attached to some water-plant ; but I 

 have seen the young ones, upon a few occasions, anchor their dwellings 

 to the parent-house. 



When the animal is resting, or is in any way disturbed, she settles 

 down in the lower part of the tube ; but, when all is quiet and she 

 is in good working condition, with no nursery of young ones around 

 her, she is pretty sure to reward us with the sight of her four beautiful 

 wheels, which she sets in rapid motion, thus forming a swift current 

 which brings the food and the material for the brick close to her 

 head ; and she has the power of selection, for she often rejects par- 

 ticles brought to her mouth. The apparatus for moulding the brick 

 is within the body. The material is brought through the action of the 

 wheels to a small opening, where it is passed down to the apparatus, 

 which is in rapid, whirling motion, soldering the particles together 

 until they become, seemingly, a solid ball ; now she ejects the brick 

 from* its mould, bends her head over, and securely places it on top of 

 the structure. It takes her about three minutes to manufacture each 

 brick. 



Finding one with a tube so long that only a part of the flower-like 

 head could appear above the battlement, I cut about one-third of the 

 tube away, replaced it under the microscope, and watched for the re- 

 appearance of the creature. She soon came forth, and, rather hastily, 

 rushed up beyond the decapitated story of her house until she reached 

 her accustomed height, when she began to unfold her petal-like lobes. 

 Now, evidently for the first time aware of something amiss, she shot 

 back into her house much quicker than she came up. This she 

 repeated several times before seeming to have courage to investigate ; 

 at last she set her wheels in motion, and threw herself from side to 

 side — quite nervous-like — not seeming to relish the situation, or really 



