240 



Marvels of the Universe 



Photo by] [A'. J. Sjiiftn. 



THE BASE OF A GADFLY'S TONGUE. 



TKis photo shows the delicate envelope of the tongue, which is not easy to see or to 

 photosraph. It prevents dirt getting into the fine tubes. 



joined together bv a membrane. 

 But this is not all. The free 

 ends of the gristle-rings are 

 curiously fashioned, for whilst 

 one appears to end closely 

 resembling a pitchfork, the 

 termination of its neighbour 

 looks like nothing else than a 

 spike. The object of this 

 arrangement is believed by 

 some to be as follows : It 

 must be recollected that the 

 tongue has to be opened and 

 closed with great rapidity ; 

 there must not be any hitch- 

 ing, as sometimes occurs in 

 opening an umbrella, for the 

 insect might lose some food 

 thereby. Now when the tongue 

 is closed, it is easy to under- 

 stand in the collapsed state of 

 the organ, the membrane that 

 we have explained as forming 

 part of the tubes must of 

 necessitv be folded over into 



pleats by the compression, thereby effecting economy of space. It is thought, then, that as in 

 compression the spikes of the tubes of one side all the way down drop into the forks of the other 

 side so as to pack away closely, in opening the former serve the additional purpose of rapidly 

 and somewhat forcibl\- freeing the membrane, should any of the folds accidentally attempt to 



'"'"'^'^'^iSK!?! stick together. This is a beauti- 

 ful thought and a beautiful 

 arrangement. 



As the second and third 

 varieties of House Flies have 

 each sucking mouths of a 

 similar nature to the common 

 kind, we can now pass on to 

 the consideration of the biting 

 apparatus of the Stable Fly. 

 The entire fly is shown, but in 

 life the apparatus is seen in 

 situ hanging from the head of 

 the fl}' at right angles to the 

 bod}-. 



Two very delicate lancets, 

 so transparent as to be e.xceed- 

 •/.;,„,„ j„] lE.j.sj,,,,,. ingly difficult to photograph, 



THE LOWER EDGE OF THE FLY'S TONGUE. can just be seen leaving the 



This beautiful photograph shows the ends o( the fine branch tubes through which the ^^^^^^j^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ j^^^,^^^ 



Fly s nutriment is sucUed up. and the two main tubes into which they all connect. r 



