iNSECSTS. £27 



exquisite as most other animals, although, from 

 their minuteness, we perhaps may never discover 

 by what means. The antenna?, however, seem 

 little likely to answer the purpose of ears. These 

 instruments of apparently exquisite sensibility seem 

 adapted to very different purposes, but to purposes 

 with which we may remain long unacquainted. 



The eyes are formed of a transparent crustaceous 

 set of lenses, so sufficiently hard as to require nc» 

 coverings to protect them. These, like multiplying 

 glasses, have innumerable surfaces, on every one of 

 which the objects are distinctly formed; so that, if 

 a candle is held opposite to them, it appears multi- 

 plied almost to infinity on their surfaces. Other 

 creatures are obliged to turn their eyes ; but insects 

 have always some or other of these lenses directed 

 towards objects, from w ? hat quarter soever they 

 present themselves. All these minute hemispheres 

 are real eyes, through which every thing appears 

 topsyturvy. 



Mr. Leeuwenhoek looked through the eye of a 

 Dragon-fly (with the help of a microscope) as a te- 

 lescope; and viewed the steeple of a church, which 

 was 299 feet high, and 750 from the place; he 

 could plainly see the steeple, though not apparently 

 larger than the point of a fine needle. He also 

 viewed a house ; and could discern the front, dis- 

 tinguish the doors and windows, and perceive whe- 

 ther the windows were open or shut* . Mr. Hook 

 computed 14,000 hemispheres in the two eyes of a 

 drone. Mr. Leeuwenhoek reckons in each eye 

 of the Dragon-fly 12,544 lense. The pictures of ob- 



Q 2 



