Till-: (;nat and th'II.a. .'!I'7 



insect cuts the air, whose every part is active to the hist degree, 

 and whose whole structure is the just object of our adiniration. 

 Its little head is adorned with a phinie of feathers, and its whole 

 body invested with scales and hair, to secure it from any wet dp 

 dust. She makes trial of the activity of her wings, by rubbing 

 them either against her body, or her broad side-bags, which keep 

 her in an equilibrium. The furbelow, or little border of fin( 

 feathers, w bich graces her wings, is very curious, and strikes the 

 eye in the most agreeable manner. Tliere is nothing, however, 

 of greater importance to the gnat than her trunk, and that weak 

 implement may justly be deemed one of nature's master-pieces. 

 It is so very small, that the extremity of it can scarcely be dis- 

 cerned through the best microscope that can be procured. That 

 part which is at first obvious to the eye, is nothing but a long 

 scaly sheath under the throat. At near the distance of two 

 thirds of it, there is an aperture, through which the insect darts 

 out four stings, and afterwards retracts them. One of which, 

 however sharp and active it may be, is no more than the case in 

 which the other three lie concealed, and run in a long groove. 

 The sides of these stings are sharpened like two-edged swords ; 

 they are likewise barbed, and have a vast number of cutting 

 teeth towards the point, which turns up like a hook, and is line 

 beyond expression. When all these darts are stuck into the 

 Hesh of animals, sometimes one after another, and sometimes all 

 at once, the blood and humours of tlie adjacent parts nnist un- 

 avoidably be extravasated ; upon which a tumour must conse- 

 quently ensue, the little orifice whereof is closed uj) by the com- 

 pression of the external air. When the gnat, by the poitit of 

 her case, which she makes use of as a tongue, has tasted any 

 fruit, tlesh, or juice, that she has found out ; if it be a fluid, she 

 sucks it up, without playing her darts into it ; but in case she 

 finds the least obstruction by any flesh whatever, she exerts >('r 

 strength, and pierces through it, if possibly she can. After this 

 she draws back her stings into their sheath, which she applies to 

 the wound in order to extract, as through a reed, the juices 

 which she finds inclosed. This is the implement with whicli 

 the gnat performs her work in the summer, for during the win- 

 ter she has no manner of occasion for it. Then she ceases to 

 eat, and spends all that tedious season either in quarries or in 



caverns, which she abandons at the return of summer, and tii-.s 



•^ L :i 



