THE DIPTERA. 57 



atmosphere. If a vacuum were formed in the tube, 

 and it were not strengthened by this contrivance, 

 the sides might be pressed together, and the honey 

 prevented from ascending to the mouth of the insect. 

 This I throw out merely as a suggestion, the truth 

 or falsehood of which I would wish you to prove by 

 observation. If it be a " baseless fabric," the sooner 

 it be " dissolved " the better. 



The next order of insects, the Diptera, or two- 

 winged flies, are frequentl)^ mentioned. Titus An- 

 dronicus rebukes his brother Marcus for kUhng a 

 fly diu-ing a repast : — 



" Poor harmless fly ! 

 That with his pretty buzzing melody 

 Came here to make us merry, and thou hast kill'd him." 



Act III. Sc. II. 



" The common people swarm like summer flies. 

 And whither fly the gnats but to the sun ? " 



(Act II. Sc. ri.) 



is the reflection of the wounded Cliff'ord in " Henry 

 the Sixth." 



" My brave Egyptians all 

 Lie graveless till the flies and gnats of Nile 

 Have buried them for prey," — (Act III. Sc. XI.) 



are the words of Cleopatra. 



These extracts sufficiently indicate that Shakspeare 

 was familial* with the habits of some of the many 

 genera comprised in this order. To the different 

 formation of their mouths I would now wish to 



