MUSCULAR STRENGTH OF INSECTS. 183 



common to the head and gullet, gives a total of 

 4061* 



" Any lady," say Kirby and Spence, " fond of 

 going to be tempted with an exhibition of fine lace, 

 would experience an unexpected gratification could 

 she be brought to examine the muscles of a caterpil- 

 lar undei the microscope: with wonder and delight 

 she would survey the innumerable muscular threads 

 that in various directions envelope the gullet, stomach, 



I and lower intestines of one of those little animals; — 

 some running longitudinally, others transversely, 

 others crossing each other obliquely, so as to form 

 a pattern of rhomboids or squares ; others, again, 

 surrounding the intestine like so many rings ; and 

 almost all exhibiting the appearance of being woven, 

 and resembling fine lace, — one pattern ornamenting 

 one organ ; another, a second ; and another, a 

 third t." 



We put the caterpillar of the goat-moth, to which 

 We have before alluded, under a bell-glass, which 



j weighed nearly half a pound, and of course more than 

 ten times the weight of the insect; yet it raised it 

 up with the utmost ease. We then placed over 

 the glass the largest book which we had at hand — 

 " Loudon's Encyclopedia of Gardening," consisting 

 of about 1500 pages of strong paper, and weighing 

 four pounds ; but this did not succeed in preventing 

 the escape of the animal, which raised the glass, 

 though loaded with the book, nearly a hundred 

 times its own weight, and made good its exit|. 

 The multiplicity of its muscles above enumerated, 

 two hundred and thirty-six of which are situated in 

 the legs alone, will enable us to understand how this 

 extraordinary feat was performed. Even this power 

 of muscle, however, would doubtless have been un- 



» Lyonnet, Traite Anat. de la Chenille, pp. 188, 584. 

 t Intr.iv. 186. + J. R. 



u 2 



