47^ THE CHEESE-MITE. 



and others subsist on various vegetable substances. 

 They are to be found every where, and in immense 

 numbers. The larva; and chrysalids have each six 

 feet. 



Their mouth is not furnished with a proboscis, 

 but the sucker has a two-valved cylindrical sheath. 

 They have two compressed feelers as long as the 

 sucker ; two eyes, one on each side of the head, and 

 eight legs. 



THE CHEESE-MITE *, 



To the naked eye, these minute creatures appear 

 little more than moving particles of dust ; but on 

 the application of the microscope they are found to 

 be perfect animals, performing all the regular func- 

 tions. The head is small in proportion to the rest 

 of the body. Their legs are furnished at the extre- 

 mities with little claws, by which they are enabled 

 to lay firm hold of the substances they inhabit. The 

 body is furnished with long hairs, which they have 

 the power of depressing ; and by this means they 

 are enabled to creep through crevices that would not 

 otherwise admit them. 



The females, which are easily distinguished from 

 the males, are oviparous. The eggs are so minute 

 that, on a tolerably accurate calculation, it appeared 

 that ninety millions of them would not fill the shell of 

 a pigeon's egg. These are hatched in warm weather 

 in about twelve days j but during the winter season 



* Aparus Siro. Linn. 



