THE NATURALIST. 



NOVEMBER, 18^2. 



THE MICROSCOPE. 



NO. IV. 

 ACTIVE MOLECULES CONTINUED. 



Mites, ^c. in Seeds. Various species of raites, and other 

 curious insects may be found in the siftings of seeds, particularly 

 a very peculiar one, in those of the common poppy ; this insect 

 is furnished with two fangs of a very formidable description, hav- 

 ing joints like the claw of a lobster. With these fangs it seizes its 

 prey and conveys it to its mouth. I would recommend every 

 person possessing a microscope to provide himself with some of 

 these siftings. 



Beetles. So great is the variety of the beetle tribe, that it 

 would be impossible to enumerate them in the limited extent of 

 these articles. They come from a grub, or maggot, deposited in 

 the earth by the female. 



The Diamond Beetle, Circulio regalis. It is impossible 

 to conceive anything more beautiful under the microscope than 

 in this insect. It is found in the Brazils and other parts of South 

 America, and is decorated with large, brilliant, gold-color patch- 

 es, dispersed in rows over the wing covers, which are of a jet 

 black: these patches owe their brilliancy to innumerable scales or 

 feathers, and, through the microscope, exhibit the varying lustre 

 of the most brilliant gems: these feathers are similar to those on 

 the wings of the butterfly, «^c. ; a few may be placed on a piece 

 of glass, and when examined with a high power, parallel lines will 

 be observed, extremely fine, forming an excellent test of the good- 

 ness and power of a microscope. 

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