CHAPTER VIII 



INSPECT WEAPONS AND TOOLS 



Insf.cts are provided with organs as wonderful!)^ 

 specialised as those of man himself to serve them 

 in the fight for existence. Of course, I can only 

 take a few examples to illustrate this fact ; but 

 ever)' insect possesses some organ (|uite as mar- 

 vellous as any that are shown in this chapter. 



Inhere are many insects which can inflict serious 

 injury with the weaptjns the)* carry ; though the 

 injury is nf)t alwa)'s inflicted in anger or e\'en in 

 self-defence, but is usually the natural conse(juence 

 of operations performed by the creature in 

 pursuing its own vocation. Let us take, for 

 example, the horse- or gad-fly, which preys upon 

 horses, cattle, and domestic animals. Now, when 

 an insect, perhaps barely an inch in length, 

 attacks and pierces the tough skin of a creature 

 like the horse, and sucks out a surprising 

 quantity of blood, we naturally conclude that it 

 carries some very special weapons. The micro- 

 graph given in F"ig. 1 20 shows the remarkable 



