CHAPTER XII 



INSECT FLIGHT 



Whatever may be said of birds, it is certain 

 that insects cannot look to their progenitors for 

 instruction, seeing that the latter, for the most 

 part, have long since crumbled into dust ere 

 their offspring take wing. And yet insects 

 exhibit wonderful powers of flight, equalling 

 if not surpassing the flight of birds. Some 

 of these insects on emerging, not only fly 

 straight away, but within the space of a few 

 hours carry out their chief mission in life, 

 which is to deposit ova ; not at random, but in 

 suitable places, so that when the time comes 

 round again an identical batch of insects 

 appears" in the same spot, and so on from year 

 to year. Subconscious intelligence, exact and 

 punctual, leaves nothing to chance. 



Insect flight appears to be on the same 

 principle as bird flight. The wings are moved 

 in the same way, only, in most cases, much 

 more rapidly ; but the construction of the 

 wings is very different. The " arm " in this 



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