78 EVENINGS AT TIIE MICKOSCOPE. 



CHAPTEE Y. 



INSECTS : WINGS AND THEIR APPENDAGES. 



I PROPOSE now to rereal to you some of the microscopic 

 marvels of tlie insect world ; a race vastly more popu- 

 lous than all of the other animate tribes put together ; 

 for the most part so minute as to be peculiarly suitable 

 subjects for our present investigations, and so furnished 

 with elaborate contrivances and exquisite pieces of 

 mechanism, as to elevate our thoughts at every turn 

 to the majesty of the Divine wisdom displayed in the 

 most minute of His creatures. Let us begin with their 

 ivings. 



The most perfect fliers in existence are Insects. 

 Tlie swallow and the humming-bird are powerful on 

 the wing, and rapid ; but neither these nor any other 

 " winged fowl " can be compared with many of the 

 filmy-winged Insects. The common House-fly, for 

 example, will remain for hours together floating in 

 the air beneath the ceilings of our dwelling-rooms, hov- 

 ering and dancing from side to side, without effort 

 and without fatigue. It has been calculated that in 

 its ordinary flight the House-fly makes about 600 

 strokes with its wings every second, and that it is carried 

 through the air a distance of five feet during that brief 

 period. But, if alarmed, the velocity can be increased 

 six or seven-fold, as every one must have observed, so 



