Hi
fo twift and twine it’s body, that it was impoflible any way to get
a good view of i t ; i f it was killed, the body was fo fmall, that the
Chape was often fpoiled before it could be examined. It is the
nature of many minute bodies, when their life is deftroyed, for
the parts to fhrivel up immediately; this is very obfervable in
many fmall plants, as well as in infefts ; the furface of thefe fmall
bodies, if porous, being affefted by aimed every change o f the
air; and this is particularly the cafe with the ant. But if the
little creature is dropped in well re&ified fpirit of wine, it is immediately
killed; and when taken out, the fpirit of wine evaporates,
leaves the animal dry and in it’s natural pofture; or at lead
fo conftituted, that you may eafily place it with a pin in what,
pofture you pleafe.*
Having thus given a general account o f the methods ufed by
Swammerdam and Lyonet, in their examination and diflection o f
infeflis, we fhall proceed to Chew how to prepare feveral o f their
parts for the microfcope, beginning with the w i n g s , Many-
o f thefe are fo tranfparent and clear, as to require no previous;
preparation ; but the under wings of thofe that are covered with
elytra or cruftaceous cafes, being eonftantly folded up when at
reft, they rnuft be unfolded before they can be examined, by the
microfcope: for this purpofe, a confiderable Chare of dexterity,,
and fome patience is neceflaEy; for the-natural fpring of the-
wings is fo' ftrong, that they immediately fold themfelves again;,
except they are carefully prevented..
One o f the meft curious and beautiful-wings of this kind is that
of the earwig, o f which we have given a .drawing, Plate XIV.
... *'ig"
* H o o k e ’ s M i c r o g r a p h ia , p . 2 0 3 .
I t la
Fig. 1. W h e n expanded it is a tolerably large wing, yet folds
up under a cafe not one-eighth part of it’s fize. It is very difficult
to unfold this wing, on account o f it’s curious texture. They
are bed opened immediately after the infed is killed. Hold the
earwig by the thorax, between the finger and thumb; then with
a blunt pointed pin endeavour gently to open it, by fpreadmg it
over the fore-finger, gradually Aiding at the fame time the thumb
over it. When the wing is fully expanded, feparate it from the
infeH by a (harp knife, or a pair of fciffars. The wing Chould be
prefled for fome time between the thumb and finger before it
be removed ; it may then be placed between two pieces o f paper,
and again preffed for at lead an hour: after which, it may be put
between the talcs without any danger of folding up again.
The wings o f the notoneSa, and other water infefts, as well
as moft fpecies of the grylli, require equal care and delicacy with
that of the earwig to difplay them properly.
The w i n g s o p b u t t e r f l i e s a n d m o t h s are covered with
very minute feales or feathers, that afford a beautiful objea for
the microfcope; near the thorax, the Choulder, the middle of the
wing, and the fringes of the wings, they are generally intermixed
with hair. The feales from one part, alfo, often differ in Chape
from thofe o f another ; they may be firft feraped off or loofened
from the wing with a knife, and then bruCh them into a piece of
paper with a c a m e l ’s hair pencil ; the feales may be feparated
from the hairs with the affiftance of a common magnifying glais.
Theprobofcis ofinfefts, as of the gnat, the tabanus, ^ . r e quires
much attention, and confiderable care, to be