AQUARIA FOR MICROSCOPIC LIFE. l35 



see, first, the tips of the hairs on the top of the fly's head ; then 

 we see their insertion on the scalp ; and focussing somewhat lower 

 we enter the cavity where once part of the brains were, — only a 

 cavity now, through which meander a pair of tracheal tubes, but 

 where once our blow-fly did all her thinking, — where she laid her 

 plans for stealing our sugar, and for the safe depositing of those 

 minute progeny so dear to the cultivators of the gentle angling 

 craft. Lower down still we come to the roots of the hairs at the 

 base of the skull. We really must have revolved our fine adjust- 

 ment-wheel some dozen times, and we remember how formerly, 

 with only half a turn, we used to find ourselves at the other side 

 of our flattened specimen. 



On each side of the globular head stand out the many- 

 facetted eyes. At the base of the proboscis which juts out from 

 the front are the strange pair of antennae. In the middle of the 

 proboscis stand out the palpi. In a groove near its end lie the 

 sharp setee or lancets. The end is swelled out by a beautiful 

 network of pseudo-tracheae into two semi-heart-shaped masses, 

 between which we discern the salivary tube. And now it is easy 

 to understand how the sugar disappears. There, under our 

 binocular, the " Tongue of a Blow-fly " stands out soHd, and looks 

 as Ave never saw it before ; it is more than ever a thing of beauty, 

 but its use also is plain. Turning over the slide, we notice under- 

 neath the narrow opening from v/hich some tracheae still project, 

 and through which there once passed nerves, muscles, digestive 

 canal, and trache?e, from the head to the body. 



Let us henceforth resolve that we will no longer crush out of 

 their real semblance any more of Nature's beauties, no longer fill 

 our minds with false notions of the truth ; but preserve, so far as 

 we can, the true and lovely form that Nature everywhere bestows 

 v.pon her creatures ! 



aquaria for nDicroacopic Xife/ 



IN the management of small Aquaria a very little experience is 

 of great value. The first attempts are usually not successful, 

 but after a while it will be found that the aquaria run along 

 without much trouble. The secret of this is in the experience, 

 which seems to have come very naturally, that indicates to us just 



* Reprinted from "The American Monthly Microscopical Journal." 



