Microscopical Essays. -141 



Fig. 1. When expanded it is a tolerably large wing, yet folds 

 up under a cafe not one-eighth part of it's fize. It is very diffi- 

 cult to unfold this wing, on account of it's curious texture. They 

 are beft opened immediately after the infecl is killed. Hold the 

 earwig by the thorax, between the finger and thumb; then with 

 a blunt pointed pin endeavour gently to open it, by fpreading it 

 over the fore-finger, gradually Aiding at the fame time the thumb 

 over it. When the wing is fully expanded, feparate it from the 

 infect by a (harp knife, or a pair of fciflars. The wing fhould be 

 preffed for fome time between the thumb and finger before it 

 be removed ; it may then be placed between two pieces of paper, 

 and again preffed for at leaft an hour : after which, it may be put 

 between the tales without any danger of folding up again. 



The wings of the notonecTa, and other water infecls, as well 

 as moft fpecies of the grylli, require equal care and delicacy with 

 that of the earwig to difplay them properly. 



The wings of butterflies and mot MS are covered with 

 very minute fcales or feathers, that afford a beautiful object for 

 the microfcope ; near the thorax, the (boulder, the middle of the 

 wing, and the fringes of the wings, they are generally intermixed 

 with hair. The fcales from one part^ alfo, often differ in flhape 

 from thofe of another ; they may be firft fcraped off or loofened 

 from the wing with a knife, and then brum them into a piece of 

 paper with a camel's hair pencil ; the fcales may be feparated 

 from the hairs with the affiftance of a common magnifying glafs. 



The probofcis of infe6ls, as of the gnat, the tabanus, Sec. re- 

 quires much attention, and confiderable care, to be differed 



properly 



