CORRODEN TIA. 
99 
and watch the pale tiny creatures that scurry across its 
pages; examine one of them with a lens, look well at his 
alert, knowing, black eyes, and we are sure you will believe 
that he is in search of real literature, and not merely a feeder 
upon paper, as we are taught. Anyway, scientists have con¬ 
cluded that these insects look wise enough to bear the name 
Atropos divinatoria (At'ro-pos di-vin-a-to'ri-a), 
or the Divining Atropos (Fig. 108). They 
are, however, more commonly called simply 
book-lice. 
Some members of the family Psocidae do 
not live in books, but feed upon lichens that 
are found on the trunks of trees and on fences, 
often a great number being grouped together. a Ziook-iouse. 
Many of these have wings, and look like plant-lice (Fig. 107). 
The eggs are laid in heaps on leaves and branches, and are 
covered with a tissue of threads; for the Psocids have the 
power of spinning silk similar to that spun by spiders. 
