LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD. 17 



thousands of lamps. Do you understand how 

 that could be ? 



fiene6. Yes; but the idea of looking through 

 the eye of a flea ! Why, a flea is so small that 

 you can scarcely see its whole body. 



Jlunt M. So it is ; but you know a micro- 

 scope makes things appear much larger than 

 they really are. 



Rene6. How was it, then, that the soldiers 

 appeared so small. 



Aunt M. The lenses of the eye have quite 

 a contrary effect from the microscope ; for 

 while they multiply the object, they lessen its 

 size. 



And now that I have told you of some 

 of the distinctions between insects and other 

 animals, I can make you understand more 

 clearly why the spider is not ranked among 

 them. 



Instead of six legs, it has eight ; instead of 

 the two compound eyes I have described to you, 

 it has eight single ones in different parts of its 

 head ; and instead of the spiracles, it breathes 

 through leaf-shaped gills. 



Mary. Aunt Mary, what are those little 



