The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-09-17
INSECT POW ERS.

The muscular rover oil insects is immense.
We once were surprised BY feat performed
by common beetle in the United Slaes.-
We had put the insect, for want of any box
at hard, beneath quart bottle full Of milk
upon table, The hollow Of The bottom al.
lowing hin, room 10 stand upright, Present
ly, 10 our rurprise, sh--bollls began slowly TO
move, and glide along The smooth table, pro
-Te1Ied by lhe muscular power OF The impris-
ored insect, aud continued Tor come time, 10
preambus's the surface, 20 The establishment
of all who witnessed ii. The weight of the
bottle and it's contents could not have been
less than three pounds and hall, while that
OF The beeile was but half an ounce, so that
ilreadily moved weight eighly-one aud a
half times exceeding its own. A better no.
lion than figures can convey will be obIain-
ed Of this feat by surprising lad of fifteen
to be imprisoned under the great bell al 81.
PauI's, which weighs $4,000 pounds, and TO
move il TO and fro upon smoo,h pavement
by pushing within. Mr. Newport has given
other instances Of insect power equally re-
markahle. Having once fastened small
kind OF Carabus, a elegantly fromed ground
beetle, weighing three and half grains, by
silk thread, TO piece Of paper, he laid
weight on The latter. Al distance Of len
inches from its load, the insect was able 20
drag after il, upon an inclined plane OF e5
deg, nearly eishiy'five gains; but when
placed on plane of Ave degrees inclna-
,ion, il drew after it one pound AnJ twenty.
five grains, exclusive of the friction TO be
overcome IN moving It's load, as though
man were TO drag up hill Of similar incli'
nation wagon weighing two tons and
halt, having first taken the wheels off. Ac.
cording 10 the same excellent authority, the
stag beetle-Larants reruus-has been known
10 gnaw hole an inch in diameter through
ihe side OF an iron canister in which il was
confined, and on which the marks of its jaws
wers distinctly visible, as proved by Ste
phens, who exhibited The canister at one Of
The meetings OF he chronological Society.
Let us look al ihe powefs of insects exer.
cised in the ac, Of flying The house flies
Musea don,estica-lhat wheel and play be.
meath the ceiling for hours together, ordinar.
lily move al the rate of a5out five feet per
second; but II excited to speed they can
dart along through thihy-five feet in the
same brief space OF lime. Now in This pc.
riod, as Kirby and Spence observe, a race
horse could clear only ninety feet, which is
q, the rate Of more than mile minute
Our little fly, in her swiftesi flight, will go
more than one third of mile. Now COM
pare The immense differences Of the size of
the two animals-ten millions Of the fly
would. hardly counterpoise one racer and
how wonderful will the velocity Of this min
ute creature appearl Did the fly equal The
race horse in size and retain It's powers in
the ratio Of lis magnitude, il would traverse
the globe with the fapidhy OF lishtuing.--
Some of tho flies that haunt ous gardens
shoot along so rapidly that The eye cannot
follow them in flight. III. 5i,.5s Il,
Nor are these Tiny creatures less masters
of the arts of running aud lsaping- De
Lisls mentions fiy so minute as almost 10
be invisible, which ran nearly. six inches in
ssecopd, and in that space was calculated
10 have made one thousand and eighty steps
This, according to the caIculslion of Kirby
snd Spence, is as If q man whose steps
measured only Two feet, should ran at The
incredible rate Of twenty miles in minute
Every one has had occasion to observe, no
always without an emotion Of anger tbs
Ieaping powers Of the fiea-Palir irr'fd's. :
A bound tof two hundred times It's owl
length .is aecsmmonfeal, as II man should
iamp.twelve hnhdrsd feet, OF = quarter OF
milsl Wha. pity thai insects were no
allowed 10 be compslilorsd 10 The athletic
games Of oids-- Creole ii .a@
1s An affected singer, at alheasfe, va
told By awse ID the gallery ,.l.fio come on