i 7 8 



Microscopical Essays, 



men ; through thefe the infect is fuppofed to breathe : this An- 

 gular circumftance in their refpiration forms another peculiar 

 character of infects. 



The limbs, or the organs ufed by the infect for moving it's 

 body, and for defending itfelf, are the tail, the fling, the feet, the 

 wings, the halteres or poifers. 



The tail terminates the abdomen, and is conftru&ed in a 

 wonderful manner for anfwering the purpofes for which it is 

 formed, namely, to direct the motion of the infect, to ferve as 

 an inftrument of defence, or for depofiting the eggs ; the figure 

 and fize thereof varying in each genus and it's families. In fome 

 it is fimple, Jimplex, and yet capable of being extended or drawn 

 back at pleafure. In others, elongata, elongated. Setaceous, 

 fhaped like a briftle ; trifeta, with three appendages like briftles ; 

 in fome it is forked, furcata ; and in others it is furnifhed with a 

 pair of forceps, forcipata ; in the blatta and others it is folio/a, 

 or like a leaf. In the fcorpion and panorpa it is telifera, fur- 

 nifhed with a fting. Further particulars may be obtained from 

 the Philofophia Entomologica of Fabricius. 



Aculeus, or fting, an inftrument with which infects wound 

 and inflil a poifon ; the fting generally proceeds from the under 

 part of the laft ring of the belly : in fome it is {harp and pointed, 

 in others formed like a faw. It is ufed by many infeas both as 

 an offenfive and defenfive weapon ; by others it is only ufed to 

 pierce the fubftances where they mean to depofit their eggs. 



Pedes, 



