326 TAe Microscope. 



der body: its mouth is armed with a pair of forceps. In hot coun- 

 tries, where it is of a large size, it is venomous. It has fifty-four 

 joints, and every joint a leg from each side, with two at the hind 

 part, — in all, one hundred and ten. When it moves, the legs fol- 

 low regularly. There are several sorts of these curious insects; 

 they are found under stones and wood that have been lying for 

 some time. 



Stings of Insects. The sharp and penetrating instruments 

 in tails of bees, wasps, ^c. are distinguished by the name of 

 stings, — weapons given them by nature to defend themselves 

 against their enemies, whereas the proboscis of flies, gnats, i^c. 

 is to procure them food. The sting ejects a poisonous liquor; the 

 proboscis sucks the blood. As the stings of all are nearly alike, 

 by describing one the rest will be understood. 



The Sting of a Bee has a horny sheath, and is shaped 

 like a dart, with a barb similar to a fishhook. The bee strikes 

 so hard, that if disturbed it cannot withdraw its sting from its ob- 

 ject, but when undisturbed, it closes the barb and draws it out. 

 To view the sting of a bee, cut off the bottom part of the body and 

 press it, and the sting will come out: it may be nipped off with a 

 pair of scissors, and kept for observation; the bag containing the 

 poison generally comes out with the sting. 



Miscellaneous. The pearly eyes of insects are amazing 

 ])ieces of mechanism, whose structure, without the assistance of 

 the microscope, would have remained unknown to us. Cutter- 

 flies, bees, ants, and many others, have two immovable caps, 

 containing a number of hemispheres, placed in lines with the ut- 

 most regularity, resembling lattice work; these are a collection of 

 eyes, like so many polished mirrors, which reflect the object; for 

 example, the image of a candle maybe distinctly seen in each. 



Mr. Gill has produced some beautiful objects, which he calls 

 his microscopic kaleidoscope, in consequence of the ever-varying 

 regularity that presents itself to the eye of the observer, during 

 the configuration of the alkalies of soda, ammonia, and potash, 

 and the boracic, tartaric, and muriatic acids. 



The 'Technological and Microscopic Repository' published 

 by Mr. Thos. Gill, treats largely on interesting objects for the 

 microscope, particularly on the dissection of minute insects, by 

 T. Carpenter, Esq. of Calthorpe Street; the following are some 

 of the most interesting subjects from the above. 



T. Carpenter Esq.'s Observations on the Natural History of 

 the Hermorbcns perla or ])lant-louse lion: — 'These singular 

 and beautiful insects attach their eggs to the edges of loaves, 

 suspending them by minute threads. They choose such leaves 



