THE STORY OF THE UNIVERSE 



both to and fro against the wing-sheaths, doing this 

 by turns with the right and left legs, which causes 

 the regular breaks in the sound. 



In this case we may without hesitation conclude 

 that the friction of the thigh-plates and shank-points 

 on the rough edges of the wing-cases produces the 

 musical vibration of the tense membrane, as rubbing 

 a wet glass with the ringer will yield a loud musical 

 note. 



The most elaborate contrivance for the produc- 

 tion of sounds among the insect races, however, is 

 found among the Cicadae, celebrated in classical 

 poetry as the very impersonations of song and elo- 

 quence. 



Probably at some period of your life you have 

 been stung by a bee or wasp. I shall take it for 

 granted that you have, and that having tested the 

 potency of these warlike insects' weapons with one 

 sense, you have a curiosity to examine them with 

 another. The microscope shall aid your vision to 

 investigate the morbific implement. 



This is the sting of the honey-bee. It consists of a 

 dark brown horny sheath, bulbous at the base, but 

 suddenly diminishing, and then tapering to a fine 

 point. This.sheath is split entirely along the inferior 

 edge, and by pressure with a needle I have been en- 

 abled to project the two lancets, which commonly lie 

 within the sheath. These are two slender filaments of 

 the like brown horny substance, of which the centre is 

 tubular, and carries a fluid, in which bubbles are 

 visible. The extremity of each displays a beautiful 

 mechanism, for it is thinned away into two thin blade- 



