THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



103 



If a portion of this be now examined by the aid of a low 

 magnifying power, it will be seen that all the scales are ar- 

 ranged with admirable symmetry, 

 one above the other, like the tiles 

 on a roof, and as they are of uni- 

 form shape, and often of very 

 varied colors, the surface of the 

 wing closely resembles a mosaic 

 of marvellous fineness, not like 

 that of our artists, but like the 

 result of divine art. 



Our varied movements are ex- 

 ecuted by the aid of voluminous 

 fleshy muscles attached to the 

 skeleton. In respect to these the 

 insect possesses both a numerical 

 and a dynamical superiority over 

 the human race. Anatomists cal- 

 culate that there are only 370 of 

 these muscles in man, whilst the 

 patient Lyonet discovered more 

 than 4000 in a single caterpillar. 



Insects equally surpass us in 

 respect to strength. A man of 

 average physical powers cannot 48- Muscular Apparatus & the wniow- 



. Eating Caterpillar : Cossus ligniperda. 



move without difficulty a weight 



of forty-four pounds, placed horizontally. As he himself 

 weighs from 150 to 200 pounds, he only moves in so doing 

 a mass the weight of which does not equal a third of that 

 of his body. If we subject a mole-cricket to the same test, 



