THE MICROSCOPE AND INSECT LIFE 



of certain bees. In our chapter on botanical work 

 with the microscope we mentioned the feathery 

 stigmas of grass flowers and we also stated that they 

 took that form, so that pollen grains blown to them 

 would be entangled in their branches. The hairs of 

 many bees are feathered for a similar reason, they 

 gather pollen and the pollen adheres to these 

 '' feathers " much more readily and in much greater 

 quantity, than it would to simple, unbranched hairs. 

 Some bees collect no pollen and, from them, 

 feathered hairs are wanting. 



Any microscopist who has followed us thus far, 

 will have a fair idea of the structure of a number of 

 insects. In every case, where possible, comparisons 

 should be made between similar organs of different 

 insects and the investigations may be made more 

 interesting by observing the habits of the insects and 

 trying to discover reasons for the differences in 

 structure. It is safe to surmise that there is a reason 

 in every case. There are many other interesting 

 subjects which we have not mentioned, the legs of 

 insects — running legs of ground beetles, digging legs 

 of mole crickets, swimming legs of water beetles and 

 the wonderful pollen-carrying legs of bees. Then 

 again, the eggs of many insects are of surpassing 

 beauty in shape, they may be round, oval, oblong, 

 nearly square and almost needle shaped; some are 

 smooth and shining like burnished metal, others 

 beautifully sculptured; some resemble miniature 

 birds' eggs, others are not unlike the seeds of plants. 



Many insects are too small to be cut up into 

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