206 AUGUST 



LXIV 



The Donacia only affords one out of ten thousand 

 Tlle examples of marvellous adaptation of 



Gribble structure to the wants of minute animals. 

 Nobody can guess how many ages have rolled by 

 since the primeval Donacia was first supplied with 

 spines, but lately there has come to the knowledge 

 of telegraphists an instance of adaptation accom- 

 plished within less than half a century. No material, 

 perhaps, has increased so enormously in importance 

 to manufacture in recent times as have indiarubber 

 and guttapercha. At no very distant time it was 

 unknown in the manufactured state ; but, not to 

 mention a thousand other uses to which it is applied, 

 its insulating properties have made it indispensable 

 to electrical science, its waterproof properties to 

 our comfort, its resilient powers to bicyclists and 

 carriage folk; while last, but not least, golfers 

 would be parlously embarrassed had they to fall 

 back on the balls stuffed with feathers, costing 

 3s. 6d. each, which contented our forefathers. But 

 it has remained quite unknown till lately that any 

 animal existed with digestive powers equal to a diet 

 of guttapercha. Such a prodigy has now been 



