Microscopical Essays. 



others connect thefe leaves with great regularity ; many ft rip 

 themfelves of their hairs, and form a mixture of hair and filk ; 

 others conftruft a cone of fand, or earth, cementing the particles 

 with a kind of .glue ; fome gnaw the wood into a kind of faw-duft, 

 and glue it together ; with an innumerable variety of modes fuited 

 to their prefent and future ftate. 



N Of the Beetle. 



To make the reader more fully acquainted with a fubjecT: which 

 affords fuch abundant matter for the exercife of his microfcope, 

 I fhall proceed to defcribe, in as concife a manner as I am able, 

 the changes of a few infe&s of different claffes, beginning with 

 the beetle. 



The beetle is of the firft (or coleoptrous) clafs, having four 

 wings. The two upper ones are cruftaceous, and form a cafe to 

 the lower ones ; when they are {hut, there is a longitudinal future 

 down the back : this formation of the wings is neceffary, as the 

 beetle often lives under the furface of the earth, in holes which 

 they dig by their own induftry and ftrength. Thefe cafes fave 

 their real wings from the damage which they might otherwife 

 fuftain, by rubbing or crufhing againft the fides of their abode ; 

 they ferve alfo to keep the wings clean, and produce a buzzing 

 noife when the animal rifes in the air. The ftrength of the beetle 

 is aftonifhing ; it has been eftimated that, bulk for bulk, their 

 mufcles are a thoufand times ftronger than thofe of a man. 



The beetle is only an infect difengaged from the pupa form ; 

 the pupa is a transformation in like manner from the worm, or 



larva ? 



