76 THE MICROSCOPE AND ITS LESSONS. 



The great French naturalist, Keaumur, says, " The gnat 

 is our declared enemy, and a very troublesome enemy it 

 is. However, it is well to make its acquaintance, for if 

 we pay a little attention we shall be forced to admire it, 

 and even to admire the instruments with which it wounds 

 us. Besides which, throughout the whole course of its 

 life it offers most interesting matter of investigation to 

 those who are curious to know the wonders of nature." 



Observe the remarkable beauty of its wings, covered, 

 in an orderly manner, with a number of delicate scales, 

 similar to those on the moth of the silkworm, where four 

 hundred thousand have been counted; -the head present- 

 ing the most astonishing armoury of lancets and tubes, 

 preceded by the most beautiful of plumose antennaa, and 

 enlightened with twenty-four thousand lenses. 



Surely all this will suggest to you something of the 

 phenomena of another life, and bring to your remem- 

 brance the words with which we all are familiar, " It doth 

 not yet appear what we shall be." 



Here is a specimen of that terrible family of insects, 

 the locusts. It is a relation of our English grasshopper ; 

 and this will enable you to appreciate the blessing we 

 enjoy in being delivered from such a scourge as, in Africa, 

 is still called " the eighth plague of Egypt." 



All who are familiar with country life are familiar 

 with the chirp of the grasshopper, but, happily, all are 

 not acquainted with the features of a live locust, because 

 it is rarely seen in England. 



Among my presents, I once had a live locust sent me, 

 and I was struck with its remarkable resemblance to a 

 horse ; but were the strength of the horse proportionate, 

 in respect of its size, to that of the locust, what a veritable 

 giant would it be in the power it would possess ! 



Our instrument reveals to us the secret of this strength. 



