Structure of Insects' Wings. 33 



we can detect on its surface some pattern or graining 

 of wonderful delicacy and minuteness. To examine 

 this, we apply one of the high powers of the micro- 

 scope, attending, however, to the rule, to use the 

 lowest with which we can clearly see what we require. 

 How exquisite, how delicately finished is the appear- 

 ance of this little wing. An artist's eye looks with 

 pleasure on the bold curves and rich brown colour of 

 the large nervures, and the beautiful regularity of the 



No. 5. Folded Wing of Whirligig Beetle, 

 magnified 15 diameters. 



smaller markings. These prove to consist of tens of 

 thousands of delicate hairs, while the wing is edged 

 with somewhat longer ones. I have drawn a very 

 small portion of the wing magnified 420 diameters. 

 Were I to represent the entire wing on this scale, I 

 must make it more than ten feet long ; yet it is orna- 

 mented with the same beautiful regularity over the 

 whole surface. Will you look, reader, at the real size 

 of the wing, and judge what must be the minuteness 

 of its delicate adornment ? 



G 



