130 EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE 



CHAPTER VII 



INSECTS: THEIR FEET 



IHAYE here enclosed a small window- fly in the live- 

 box of the microscope, that you may examine the 

 structure of its feet as it presses them against the 

 glass cover; and thus not only get a glimpse of an ex- 

 quisitely-formed structure, but acquire some correct ideas 

 on the question of how a fly is enabled to defy all the laws 

 of physics, and to walk jauntily about on the under surface 

 of polished bodies, such as glass, without falling, or appar- 

 ently the fear of falling. And a personal examination is 

 the more desirable because of the hasty and erroneous no- 

 tions that have been promulgated on the matter, and that 

 are constantly disseminated by a herd of popular compil- 

 ers, who profess to teach science by gathering up and re- 

 tailing the opinions of others, often without the slightest 

 knowledge whether what they are reporting is true or 

 false. 



The customary explanation has been that given by Der- 

 ham in his " Physico- theology "; that "divers flies and 

 other insects, besides their sharp-hooked nails, have also 

 skinny palms to their feet, to enable them to stick to 

 glass, and other smooth bodies, by means of the pressure 

 of the atmosphere, after the manner as I have seen boys 

 carry heavy stones, with only a wet piece of leather clapped 

 on the top of a stone." Bingley, citing this opinion, adds 



