Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1867-09-20

All insects have six legs, unless they have
met with some acc d ms. TEey do not breathe
through their mouths, bat by means of a
great number OF little pipes which run thro
them lengthwi,e, having openings here and
there on the sides Of the BODY where the
fresh air is drawn in. These little openings
are very curously contrived--in some cases
protected by the trap-doors opening on hin
ges, IN others having strong grating over
them of very coarse hairs. Hence, an in
sect, when cut in two, as he does no. use his
mouth fer breathing, and as his brain is not
confined to his head, but runs all through
his body, will live for many hours in this
mutilated state. In fact some insects never
eat a mouthful after they are fall grown.
Insects have rom two TO five eyes. Two
large eyes called compound eyes, because
they are made up Of many little eyes united,
like bundle of six sided spy-g asses tied to-
gether, large a: ::one end and very small a.
the other, and looking, under the microscope.
like the meshes Of very fine net. Then
there are sometimes three little eyes IN ad>
ditiou to the large ones, placed generally On
the top of the head, although they occasion
ally vary their position.
All insects are provided with aAtean9,
which are those little many>joinied proirc>
tiols extending from the head near the eyes
somewhat like reindeer horns. These ais
probably used for feeling smelling aud hear.
ing with, although their uses have Rot been
de efniiely settled. They vary much 10 ap-
pearance; sometimes resembling Indian
clubs, sometimes fringed ike a fir tree.
notched like saw, plun1ed Ike a fealher,
or armed with teeth like d comb. A few m
sects have no wings. others have wo, others
four, bat none have mors than that nuns
Der.
Insects pass through several stages Of ex>
istence before they become fully developed.
Most Of them are hstebed from eggs then
they pass into the larva state. III which there
are caterpillar, maggot. or grub, according
as thvy are to become butterfly or beetle
In o. time tb = intn sisirs-
my state, from winch they emerge ready for
action as perfect insects la some classes
these distinctions are not so strongly mark,
ed.
On examining q fly with a microscope.
you will hnd SIX legs. armed each with two
sharp little toes two compound ewes eover>
ing nearly the whole head, and the three it,
tie eyes arranged in triangle: two trans
parent wings strengthened by a network Of
veins. and covered With fine hairs TO protect
them from wear aud tear. pair Of tiny
wingle!s, and on each side Of the BODY lit
tie knob which serves for unknown purposes.
On closer examination OF his mouth y0u will
hnd proboseis OF trans. like an elephant >:
this is nothing but th= lower lip heightened
and armed with three laneets, with which is
punctures It's food, or exasperaies bald head
ed old gentlemen. The end OF the lip $
hattened and grooyed like the bottom OF a
meat Dish for gravy. He is provided with a
nuid which. running down little canals in
his trunk, disso YES soluble substances. SO
that they are easily sucked up through the
same little canals.
On examining The foot closely under the
microscope you viii see that ii is armed
with two little claws, protected by aeshy
pads, covered with hairs. Each hair is en-
larged at the end, making little disc. which
is kept moist by fnd continually exuding.
Jhe little claws catch on the rough point Of
any surface, and the moment this i. done.
the little discs take hold by the;redges. " h le
their centres are retracted, leaving a vaeu.
um, and thus creating an almost heric press
ure which sustalns the iGsect against the
force oicravitatien. While one foot is rails
eu, thc otHtTs retain tuStF huii, ana Inc 70 p
i'd movement Of the six legs along a ceiling
shows how swift is the instructive action Of
this complex apparatus.
According TO Kirby and Spence. the CON.
mon horse fly, when undistarbed. make six
hundred strokes with lis wings in a second.
and when necessary can increase its yeloci>
ty six fold.
There is one fac, in tie natural history Of
fies that is generally very little understood,
and what IS true Of flies is equally true with
regard to all insects. l. is that flies hatch>
ed into the winged state never grow any
more, either smaller or lager. Ii he is
hatehed a small ay. small he remains all the
days Of his life. His growing aqd most Of
his eatidg has been done in the larva or
maggot state. Then be leads the life Of
glut,on, eating with apparent relish all NEST
loathsome things, reNeliaS in a. sorss Of im>
purities, waxing very tat and aldermauie.a as
do most large eaters in the human tribe All
old writer well observes. How few of as are
aware that all these creatures nog bazxiug
above eur heads once crawled beneath cur
iest-'-Rirvysidc .Aacoane.