CHAPTER VII. 

 THE MICROSCOPE IN ZOOLOGY (continued). 



EVERY part of an insect is worthy of attentive study ; 

 the head with its various appendages, the wings, legs, 

 eyes, spiracles, stings, and ovipositors, &c. &c., will 

 come under your examination. You. must often have 

 been struck with the extraordinarily rapid movements 

 of various insects through the air. You have been 

 lying awake in an early morning on your bed, and 

 have noticed the ease and grace with which the little 

 house-fly performs, in company with his companions, 

 his dancing gyrations. Now one individual darts 

 backwards with the rapidity almost of thought, and 

 another is soon seen to accomplish the same feat. 

 Her gauze-like wings, moved by the strong muscles 

 of the thorax, vibrate 600 or 800 times in a single 

 second, and even considerably more if she will it. 

 Our little fly, say Kirby and Spence, in her swiftest 

 flight will go more than the third of a mile a 

 minute. Now compare the infinite difference of the 

 size of the two animals (ten millions of the fly would 

 hardly counterpoise one racer), and how wonderful 

 will the velocity of this miniature creature appear! 

 Did the fly equal the racehorse in size, and retain its 

 present powers in the ratio of its magnitude, it would 

 traverse the globe with the rapidity of lightning. The 

 organs by means of which such wonderful results are 

 accomplished must be worthy of your patient ex- 

 amination. The wings of many insects, as bees and 



" Introduction to Entomology," vol. ii., p. 362. 



