Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-08-02
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INSECTS.

| Ill IIHCCtG lldfG NlA lCHS, unless lutN nave
met with accidents. They do not breathe
great number Of little pipes which run
through them lengthwise, having openings
here and there on the sides Of the body
where the fresh air is drawn in. These lit
| tie openings are very curiously cOntriyed-
| IN some cases protected by tiny trap-doors
| opening on hinges, in others having strong
! grating over them of very coarse hairs
! Hence, an insect when cut in two, as he
! does not use his mouth for breathing and as
! his brain is not confined to his head but
runs all through his body, will live for many
| hours IN this mutilatcd state. In fact some
! insects never cat mOuthiul after they are
| full grown.
Insects have from two to five eyes. Two
| large eyes called compound eyes, because
| they are made up of many littlecycs united,
! like bundle OF six sided spy-g glasses tied to-
| gcthcr large at one end and very small at
the other and looking under the microscope,
| like the meshc5 Of very fine net. Then
| there are sometimes three little eyes in ad-
| dltIon to the large ones, placed generally on
the top OF the head, although they occa-
slonally vary their position.
All insects are provided with oatcisal.,
| which are those little, many-jointcd projcc.
| tons extending from the head near the eyes
somewhat like randeer's horns. These are
| probably used for feeling, smelling, and
Been definitely Settled IGsy vary much IN
appearance; sometimes resembling Indian
clubs, sometimes fringcd like fir tree,
notchcd ike a saw, plumcd ike a feather
or armed with teeth like a comb A few
insects have no wings, others have two,
others four, but none have more than that
number
Insects pass through several stages Of cx-
istence before they become fully developed.
Most Of them are hatChcd from eggs; then
| they pass into the larVa state, in which there
| are caterpillar, maggot, or grub, according
as they arc to become butterfly or beetle
In course Of time they 90 into pupa, or
mummy state, from which they emerge
ready for action as perfect insects. In some
classes these distinctions are not so strongly
marked.
On examining a fly with microscope,
you will find six legs, armca .I with two
| sharp little toes; two big compound eyes
covering nearly the whole Of the head, and
| the three little eyes arranged in a triangle
| two transparent wings strengthened by net
work Of veins, and covered with fine hairs
| to protect them from wear and tear; pair
/ Of tiny winglcts, and on each side Of the
| body little knob which serves for unknown
| purposes. On closer examination Of his
| mouth you will find prObOscis or trunk, like
an elephants; this is nothing but the lower
| lip heightened and armed with three lanccts,
! with which it punctures its food, or cXas-
| rcratcS bald-headcd old gentlemen The
| end Of the lip is fattcncd and gTooved like
/ the bottom of meat dish for gravy. lie Is
provided with a fluid which running down
! little canals in his trunk, dissolycs soluble
su distances, so that they are easily sucked
/ up through the same little cannals.
! On examining the foot closely under the
/ microscope you will see that it is armed with
two little claws. protected by feshy PADS
covered with hairs Each hair is enlarged
| at the end, making a little disk, which is
| kept moist by fluid continually exuding.
! The little claws catch on the rough point of
any surface, and the moment this is done,
| the little disks take hold by their edges,
| while their centers are retractcd, leaving
vacuum, and thus creating an atmospheric
pressure which sUstainS the insect against
! the force OF grayitation While one foot Is
raised, the others retain their hold, and the
rapid movement of the six legs along a cell
! ing, shows how swift is the instructive action
Of this complex apparatus.
! According to Kirby and Spence, the cOm-
mon house Ay, when undsturbcd makes six
! hundred strokes with Its wing IN a second,
and when necessary can increase its velocity
sixfold.
There is one fact in tie natural history Of
flies that Is generally very little understood,
and what is true Of flies, Is equally true with
| regard to all insects. 1t is that flies hatchcd
! into the winged state never grow any more,
either smaller or larger If he is hatchcd a
small fly. small he remains all the days Of
his life. His growing and most Of his eating
| has been done in the larya or maggot state.
Then he leads the life Of a glutton, eating
with apparent relish all most loathsomc
things, rcyeling in all sorts OF impurities,
waxing very fat and aldcTmanic, as do most
large eaters in the human tribe. An old
writer well observes, How few Of US are
aware that all these creatures now buzzing
| above our heads once crawlcd beneath our
, feet l''-Rjrcrside Hugn.ilc