SOME EARLY MICROSCOPISTS 



observed that it was made up of ** little boxes or 

 cells," and the name cell has survived to this day 

 despite the fact that it is by no means an approp- 

 riate term. That Hooke's knowledge was not very 

 deep is shown by the fact that he presumed cork 

 to be a fungus growing on the bark of trees. 



Many of the objects we have described in our 

 pages were described and illustrated by Hooke more 

 than two hundred years ago. The sea mat, despite 

 his accurate observations, he mistook for a seaweed, 

 as many later naturalists have done. The stinging 

 hairs of nettle he made out in every detail. Fish 

 scales, bee stings and birds' feathers all came under 

 his notice. The foot of a fly he described with 

 wonderful accuracy ; the scales of a butterfly's wing 

 and the head of a fly were all studied and described 

 in detail. On the life history of the gnat he made 

 many blunders, but he saved his reputation by re- 

 markable observations upon the Chelijer, a curious 

 parasite of the fly which we mention in our pages, 

 and upon the silver fish, a little creature which 

 frequents sugar and starch. Neither of these organ- 

 sms had been described before. Fleas, lice, vinegar- 

 ?els and spiders were also studied by this indefatig- 

 ible worker, a worthy collection indeed, but Hooke, 

 ike others of his time, was an observer first and 

 'oremost. As a methodical, scientific worker he was 

 )f little account. 



Living about the same time as Hooke, the 

 celebrated Italian, Malpighi, laid the foundations of 

 nuch of our present-day knowledge of plant struc- 



31 



