158 
with twoclaws. Moreover, the legs of this in- 
fect are all over covered with {caly little feathers, 
between which appear fome blackifh fetaceous 
hairs. 
The ftructure of the wings ggg g is fo beau- 
tiful, that nothing can, in a manner, be invent- 
ed more ingenious or artificial. They confitt 
partly of pulmonary tubes, and partly of deli- 
cate membranes, which are perfectly pellucid, 
They are of an oblong form, and of a glafly 
colour; but they are obfcured or fhaded by a 
very great number of f{caly rhomboidal figures, 
which are a vaft ornament to them. All the 
membranes of the wings are interwoven with 
pulmonary tubes, which run through them 
like fo many veins and nerves ; and upon thofe 
pulmonary tubes, which are conveyed out of 
the body into the wings, are fixed thefe oblong 
and broad feathers for the fake of ornament. 
The fame conftruction is feen alfo in the be- 
ginning, middle, and circumference of the 
wings, and isa very agreeable fight. In order 
to make this ftructure clear or more evident, 
I here exhibit the wings fomewhat larger, in 
proportion to the other part of the Gnat, than 
they were formerly. But if thefe wings were 
reprefented as large as they can poflibly be 
magnified by good glaffes, the divine miracles 
that are prefented to us therein would amaze 
all mankind. 
. ‘We fhould then diftinguith clearly that every 
feries of the little feathers before defcribed, 
likewife refts on a ftalk or tube, by means of 
which, it is united to the pulmonary tubes : 
and alfo, that fome of the feathers are here and 
there larger, fhorter, or broader, and placed 
in a quite different manner from the reft, as 
far as regularity and beauty wouldadmit. If 
broken feathers chance to occur any where, 
their quills will be found there ftill fixed in the 
pulmonary tubes. The ftructure of the little 
feathers would fhew itfelf very admirable in 
this cafe, for almoft all of them are inter- 
woven with fix regular little ribs like fo many 
nerves, each of which confifts of a great num- 
ber of regular globules, ‘This is feen more 
clearly by the help of a powerful microfcope ; 
all thefe little feathers being likewife tran{pa- 
rent, though they are not altogether fo clear 
as the membranes of the wings. 
Further we may obferve, in what a won- 
derful manner the very membrane of the wings 
is conftructed in this creature, for it appears 
under the microfcope befet with many promi- 
nent papille or little rifings. If this part be 
viewed by help of the moft powerful microf- 
cope, it will be diftinétly feen that all thefe 
papille are fo many crooked, curled, pellucid 
little tips or points, of moft delicate, long or 
extended papiile.. In all this the omnipotence 
and wifdom of God fhines brighter than the 
meridian fun. All thefe things cannot be ex- 
prefled in the {mall compafs of a fingle figure. 
I have therefore exhibited upon this membrane 
of the wings, only a few out of the great num- 
Th BOOK of NATURE; on, 
ber of thefe inflected and tharp-pointed papille 
in the form of points.. Nay, I would venture 
to affert, that however good the microfcope 
made ufe of is, yet one cannot fee thefe pa- 
pile diftingly, unlefs we firft tear a part of 
the membrane of the wings carefully for that 
purpofe; for the tharp little tops or points 
which I have here mentioned, are only to be 
feen when all impediments are moft carefully 
removed. 
The malleoli, Tab. XXXII. fig. ut. 4 4, or 
little hammers fixed to the breaft, whereof I 
made mention, are of a fomewhat irregular 
fhape, and at their extremities are confiderably 
dilated: they are there fmooth and of a whitith 
colour. I have obferved fuch malleoli almoft 
inall Flies which have only two wings. The 
furface of the thorax alfo fhines a little, and 
being covered in a manner with red briftly hairs, 
inftead of feathers, it is likewife adorned with 
a red colour. 
The belly is divided into eight rings 22, in 
the fame manner as I have exhibited in the 
Worm and Nymph. All thefe divifions are 
likewife as vifible in the perfect Gnat, as in thofe 
ftates lately mentioned. I further, obferve that 
the belly and tail are every where covered with 
feathers, which are black in fome places ; and 
this is the reafon that the belly and tail appear 
divided as it were by black rings. The other 
little feathers intermixed with the former are 
of a white or yellowifh colour, and are wholly 
tranfparent. Moreover, the whole belly is every 
where covered with fine hairs, the extremities — 
of which curl, and feem to be in fome meafure. 
entangled in one another, though in: reality 
they are not. 
I alfo reprefent the head of the female Gnat, 
fig. 1v. magnified, which, in refpect to the 
ftructure of the horns, differs from the male’s 
head aa extremely. Thofe little parts of the 
head alfo, between and under which the fheath 
of the fting is extended, are much fmaller in. 
the female, and diftinguifhed with greater diffi- 
culty 4. The horns in this fex are alfo divided, 
as it were with twelve parts, and they are re- 
gularly covered with brownifh hairs and. little 
feathers. The fheath of the fting c, and the 
other little parts are of the fame ftructure, and 
have the fame integuments that I have before 
defcribed in thofe of the male. Laftly, that 
nothing may be deficient, I likewife exhibit 
the female herfelf in her natural fize, in 
fig. v. Ihave not yet accurately inveftigated 
the internal parts of the Gnat, and therefore 
-fhall fay nothing of them here. 
I have occafionally obferved many diftinc& 
{pecies of Gnats, but their principal difference 
confifts in this, that fome of them have and 
others have not a fting or trunk, and therefore 
feem to be harmlefs. They likewife differ 
confiderably among themfelves in refpect to 
their magnitude, colours, and food; the place 
wherein they live, and the manner wherein they 
are produced ; and in feveral other particulars 
worthy 
