CHEESE-MITES. 16? 



Quick-sighted Voracious and tenacious of life. 



nished at the extremities with little claws, by 

 which they are enabled to lay firm hold of the 

 substances they inhabit. The body is furnished 

 with long hairs, which they have the power of 

 depressing; and by this means they are enabled 

 to creep through crevices that would not other- 

 wise admit them. 



The females, which are easily distinguished 

 from the males, are oviparous. The eggs are so 

 minute, that, on a tolerably accurate calculation, 

 it appeared that ninety millions of them would 

 not fill the shell of a pigeon's egg. These are 

 hatched in warm weather in about twelve days ; 

 but during the winter season the time of hatch- 

 ing is much longer. When the young ones first 

 come forth they are extremely minute, and be- 

 fore they attain their full size they cast their skin 

 several times. 



These little animals are very quick-sighted; 

 and when once they have been touched with a 

 pin, it is easy to perceive a great degree of cun- 

 ning exerted to avoid a second touch. They 

 are extremely voracious, and are frequently ob- 

 served even to devour each other : and so very 

 tenacious are they of life that they have been 

 kept alive many months between two concav 

 glasses, by which they were applied to a micro- 

 scope. Leuwenhoek placed a female mite on 

 the point of a pin for examination : she remained 

 there ten days, and during the time laid two eggs: 

 which, for want of other food she devoured. 



