184 CONVERSATIONS ON 



you cannot see this even with the microscope ; 

 but you can feel it, as you did just now when 

 you moved your fingers. These joints over- 

 lap one another, just as if you should take 

 several pieces of straw and stick them into 

 each other. I will show you some pictures 

 of hairs as seen through the microscope, and 

 then these joints will be plain enough." 



Hairs of (a) the Bat, (I) the Mole, and (c) the Mouse. 



" These are strange-looking hairs, Uncle 

 Philip." 



" Yes, they are curious ; but now you may 

 see why, when hairs are worked together, they 

 may be made to stick to each other. These 

 rough parts catch into each other, and hook 

 themselves ; and the more you press them or 

 move them, the more closely you work them 



