INSECTA. 



279 



With regard to the wonderfully complex structure of these 

 organs, Strauss Durckheim suggests, that, the eyes of insects being 

 fixed, nature has made up for their want of mobility by their 

 number, and by turning them in all directions ; so that it might be 

 said that these little animals have a distinct eye for every object. 

 But here we are naturally tempted to inquire, whether insects see 

 at the same time distinctly with every one of these eyes, or if they 

 distinguish with one eye only. Upon this point Strauss Durck- 

 heim observes, that, if they saw clearly with all, the great number 

 of images would necessarily produce confusion, and would prevent 

 creatures so organized from paying special attention to any deter- 

 minate point. It is probable, therefore, that one ocellus only is at 

 any given time placed in circumstances precisely adapted to the 

 complete examination of an object, the animal seeing things imper- 

 fectly with the rest, in the same manner as we see objects situated 

 nearer to us or further off than that upon which we fix our atten- 

 tion ; so that, according to this supposition, insects would see very 

 distinctly with one eye only, exactly as we see confusedly an ex- 

 tensive landscape, although we only distinguish a small part of it. 



(323.) In all insects the sexes are quite distinct, and the genera- 

 tive apparatus, both of the male and female, consists of various se- 

 creting organs with their excretory ducts : in the male, such glands 

 furnish the impregnating secretions ; and, in the female, give origin 

 to the ova, and pro- 

 vide the covering 

 wherein the eggs are 

 enveloped. 

 e (324.) Commenc- 

 ing with a descrip- 

 tion of the male or- 

 gans, we find in the 

 cockchafer various 

 parts represented in 

 the accompanying 

 figure, taken from 

 the admirable work 

 of Strauss already so 

 often quoted. The 

 testicles of Melolon- 

 tha (fig. 124, a, a) 

 are six in number 

 on each side of the 



Fig. 124. 



