The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-23 00:00:00

MUSCULAR .POWER AND lASTINCT OF

LI SECTS.

We have been informed that Professor Kitchingman,
an entertaining entomologist resident near Brussels, who
has for some time been making a variety of curious experi-
ments on muscular power peculiar to several species of
insects, has lately contrived an ingenious instrument for
measuring their force of traction, flight, and thrust. The
onlexometer—so called from tl,, family pulicidae, or
pulex, being the base of the varied experiments—is
of simple construction, consisting of a very finely manu-
factured hair-like spring, attached to a horizontal lever,
at the end of which the insect to he tested is placed.
This is connected with a circular deal, about four-and-
a-half inches in diameter, numerically graduated with
the utmost nicety. The minute machine is so delicate
hat it revolves with the slightest impetus, an
ndicator pointing out the comparative strength of
the insect. A method of calculation, easily acquired,
is necessary to ascertain the comparative force
between one insect and another. It has thus been
ascertained that the genus pulex irritans (the common
flea) is possessed of more than ten-fold the average
strength of insects at all proportionate to its size. The
great muscular power of the flea has for ages past been
known, particularly to entomologists ; but no attempt
seems to have been made to accurately measure its force
contrasted with other insects. It is, however, now
stated that the greatest mean effort of the flee is equal
to as much as 800 times its own gravity, that of the
small bodura to about 200 ; various other apterous
tribes are measured from eighty to ninety-five, while
the average force of the coleoptera, or beetle species,
is put down at about seventy-five times their own weight,
the common cockchafer being sixteen only. It is also
shewn that the comparative strength of the weakest known
aptera considerably exceeds that of any known specimen
of the vertebrate. Professor Kitchingman has extended
his experiments by endeavouring to train several
species of insects, which has been accomplished to such
an extent that one has been induced to run back
downwards along a very fine silken cord, pulling be-
hind it a single-wheeled suspended car. Two others, placed
at each end of a small slip of wood, balanced upon
a pivot, leap up and down at command given by a pecu'iar
movement of the hand. A fourth, independent of com-
pulsion, pulls back its tiny leg to fire off a miniature
cannon. Among other surprising feats of the kind, we
are told that the Professor has succeeded in training a
beetle to swing to and fro a la Leotard, and is now
endeavouring to teach an insect to propel a minute model
velocipede. We understand the pulexometer and insect
curiosities have been shewn to several entomologists and
scientific gentlemen at Brussels, and have attracted much
attention.—Star.

THE SUSPECTED MURDER IN A RAILWAY CAR-
Rini:lE.—The body found on the Irish railway line, near
Mallow, has been identified as that of an Austrian sailor,
who was discharged from a vessel at Passage last week to
go to North America. The police are still prosecuting
inquiries, and on Thursday blood stains were discovered
in one of the carriages of the train in which the deceased
is supposed to have travelled,'and the circumstance of the
door of the compartment having been locked is taken as
confirming the belief that deceased was thrown out
through the window.

THE POPE AND THE MILORD-ANGLAIS.— The
correspondent of the Petit Illoniteur reports the:following
extraordinary exchange between the Pope and an Eng-
lish nobleman :—" Pius IX. received with his own hands
the offerings presented to him by the different deputa-
tions. Amongst others, the Pope received, on the 10th,
an English nobleman, who presented his Holiness with
a skull - cap filled with sovereigns. At
of the tassel was a diamond of immense
presented his magnificent offering, the Englishman added,
E value. Having
with the usual phlegm of his nation, that he gave the
present on condition of getting the Pope's skull-cap in
return. Pius IX. smiled, and ringing the bell he ordered
the servant to bring him another Calotte. When brought
he took off the one he wore and gave it to the Englishman,
who put it into his pocket and retired, saying that he was
never so pleased in his life."
Louis XIV., MILTON, AND GALILEO. —An
interesting letter, written by Louis XIV. to the poet
islilton, was read at a meeting of the French Academy of
Science during the present month. It is as follows :
" Monsieur Milton,—Deign to believe that the letter
which you sent me, wherein were described your tour in
Italy, and especially your interviews with the illustrious
Galileo, has given me the greatest pleasure. Will you
accept my gratitude? for I assure you that the letter
is to me a most valuable possession. You tell me also
in the same letter that you kept up till the time of his
death a correspondence with the illustrious Florentine.
Should I be indiscreet if I asked, if not for the originals,
at least for true copies ? If you will allow it, one of my
faithful servants now in England will undertake the
management of this affair. Will you favour me with your
reply on this point? for, as I have already communicated
to you, I have so great an esteem and consideration for
Galileo, who was the beacon of the world, that I desire to
possess all that he has ever written. With this, Monsieur
Milton, may God keep you in His ho" and worthy
AuttodraffLormureentimber.L.l.