54* INSECTS. 



sentatives of wings (if they be so), we come to the flies, or 

 two-winged insects, Diptera (Sic, twice ; TTT^OOV, wing). 



All the insects hitherto described have been shown to 

 possess four wings or their rudiments (unless indeed the 

 fleas be an exception), though these wings are sometimes 

 greatly modified, as in the beetles. The order of Flies, 

 now to be described, clearly possesses but two organs, 

 which can with any propriety be called wings ; but even 

 here the deficient wings (which in this case are the 

 hind pair) are supposed to be represented by two little 

 appendages, which grow from the same spot as that 

 which would naturally be occupied by the hind wings, 

 and which are present in no four-winged insect. Of 

 these organs (which are known as the " halteres," 

 " poisers" or " balancers," from one of their supposed 

 uses ; and " malleoli," or little hammers, from their form), 

 little is as yet known. It has been proved, however, 

 that a knot of nerves as considerable as that which 

 supplies each pair of wings in other orders, or the single 

 pair in this, is in connexion with the halteres, and 

 from this it is inferred that they perform some function 

 of importance. 



For figures of Order XIL, Diptera, see Plates 

 XIV., XV., XVI. 



Enough has now been said to show that this small part 

 of so small a creature, even a fly's wing, is no simple 

 matter, devoid of interest, or unworthy of study ; and 

 enough to prove that it is but our own ignorance which 

 makes any work of creation small to us our own blind- 

 ness which hinders us from seeing the evidences of power 

 and wisdom which lie before our eyes. The above is, 

 however, but a slight sketch of part of the subject; there 

 is much more which might be told of insects' wings. 



