THE 
MONTHLY MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 
JUNE 1, 1869. 
I. — On the Proboscis of the Bloiv-flij. 
By W. T. Suffolk, F.E.M.S. 
(Bead he/ore the Royal Mickoscoptcal Society, April 14, 1869.) 
The structure of the Proboscis of the Blow-fly (Musca vomiioria. 
Linn.) having been discussed elsewhere* during the past year, 
I should not haye brought the subject before the Eoyal Micro- 
scopical Society had there not been a want of figures in the papers 
already produced. 
The earliest account I have been able to meet with is in an old 
German work on the microscope, by Cosmus Conrad Cuno, dated 
Augsburg, 1734. It contains two coarse representations — one a 
side view of the whole proboscis, the other a front view of the half- 
closed lips. 
The next is an elaborate monograph by Gleichen on the com- 
mon House-fly.t This work contains an exhaustive account of the 
insect's anatomy, illustrated with four well-executed coloured plates. 
The description and figures of the proboscis are wonderfully accurate, 
considering the imperfect instrumental appliances of the time. The 
figures relating to the proboscis are : — Plate XV., Fig. 29, a view 
of the head from below, showing the proboscis withdrawn and 
DESOEIPTION OF PLATES. 
Plate XIII. — Side view of Proboscis of Blow-fly, from preparation in glycerine. 
„ XIV. — ^View of Lips, showing general arrangement of Pseudo-tracheae and 
parts about the mouth. 
[Plate XV. 
* Captain F. H. Lang, Eeading Microscopical Society, 21st January and 
17th November, 1868. B. T. Lowne, Quekett Microscopical Club, 27th November, 
1868. 
t Willhelm Friederich Freihern von Gleichen, ' Histoire de la Mouche Com- 
mune de nos Appartements.' Par I'Auteur des ' Nouvelles Decouvertes dans le 
Kegne Vegetal.' Donnee au public par Jean Christopher Keller. Nuremberg, 
1790.. 
VOL. I. 2 A 
