ON 
THE MEANS BY WHICH VARIOUS ANIMALS 
ADHERE TO THE VERTICAL SURFACES 
OF HIGHLY POLISHED BODIES. 
—~<>—— 
In the ‘ Physico-Theology’ of Dr. Derham, p. 363, 
note b, it is stated that “diverse flies and other 
insects, besides their sharp-hooked nails, have also 
skinny palms to their feet, to enable them to stick 
on glass and other smooth bodies by means of the 
pressure of the atmosphere.” This opinion, which 
appears to be adopted by some entomologists 
of the present day, has derived additional weight 
from the investigations of Sir Everard Home, whose 
papers relative to this curious subject, illustrated by 
figures of the parts employed in climbing, engraved 
principally from drawings made by Mr. Bauer, are 
published in the ‘ Transactions of the Royal Society ’ 
for 1816. These researches are regarded by Messrs. 
Kirby and Spence (see their ‘ Introduction to Ento- 
mology,’ vol. il. Jetter xxiii.) as having “ proved most 
satisfactorily that it is by producing a vacuum be- 
tween certain organs destined for that purpose and 
the plane of position, sufficient to cause atmospheric 
