170 EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE 



ner in which this part is carried, is the lower part, proceeds 

 a fine thread, about four times as long as the head itself, 

 which passes along between the fore legs, close to the 

 body, beneath the breast. It is, however, at the pleasure 

 of the animal, capable of being brought up so as to point 

 directly forward, and even projected in front of the head, 

 and in the same plane as the body ; a fact which once came 

 under my own observation. I found a Plant- bug (Penta- 

 toma) which had plunged this thread-like sucker of his into 

 the body of a caterpillar, and was walking about with his 

 prey, as if it were of no weight at all; carrying it at the 

 end of his sucker, which was held straight out from the 

 head and a little elevated. He fiercely refused to allow 

 the poor victim to be taken away, being doubtless engaged 

 in sucking its vital juices; just as the Bed-abomination 

 victimizes the unfortunates who have to sleep at some vil- 

 lage inn. 



Well, we put this head with its sucker between the 

 plates of the compressorium, upon the microscope-stage. 

 The thread is an organ composed of four lengthened slen- 

 der joints, beset with scattered bristles, and terminating in 

 a point on which are placed a number of excessively mi- 

 nute radiating warts probably the seat of some sensation 

 perhaps taste. This jointed organ is the under lip; it 

 is slit all down one surface, so that it forms an imperfect 

 tube, or furrow, within which lies the real weapon, a wire 

 of far greater tenuity, which by pressure I can force out of 

 its sheath. It is so slender that its average diameter is not 

 more than TsWth of an inch, and it ends in the most acute 

 point; yet this is not a single body, but consists of four 

 distinct wires, lying within one another, and representing 

 the maxillae and the mandibles. These can be separated 



