Microscopical Essays. 



707 



curious obferver. The briftles of a hog, cut tranfverfely, appear 

 tubular, and the root of hair is evidently bulbous. 



The mufcular fibres, and every anatomical preparation that can 

 be brought under the microfcope, are pleafing objects ; the reader 

 will meet with many curious and interefting obfervations on the 

 hairs, the mufcles, nerves, and other parts of the human body, in 

 Fontana's Treatife on the Venom of Vipers, printed for Murray. 



The legs of all infe&s appear very much diverfified, and their 

 mechanifm truly aftonifhing, according with their different occu- 

 pations, as particularized page 179. 



Scales of fifth, as foals, roach, dace, falmon, eels, Sec. as alfo 

 the fcales of fnakes, lizards, &c. &c. A fpecimen of fcales 

 is given, Plates X. and XIX. The fcales form a light, but at 

 the fame time a folid and fmooth covering to the fifh, they hinder 

 the fluid from penetrating the body, for which purpofe they are 

 laid in a kind of natural oil ; they ferve alfo as a protection, and 

 break the force of any accidental blow, w T hich may be the reafon 

 why river fifh have larger and flronger fcales than fea fifh, being 

 more liable to accidents. 



Feathers, and parts of feathers, are not to be paffed by or un- 

 noticed ; but it is impoflible to point out any of thefe in preference 

 to others, as each has it's peculiar beauties ; the pkimula of thefe 

 have generally in the microfcope the appearance of a large fea- 

 ther ; the pith contained in the quill, if cut tranfverfely, and ex- 

 amined, exhibits an admirable reticular texture. Many other 

 parts of birds will afford a great variety of curious objecls, par- 



4 R 2 ticularly 



