The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-09-04
MISCELLANY

N1sCELLANY
Fies.-We have often seen fly walking
upon the ceiling, or upon any inverted sur
face, or running up q smooth pane of glass;
and we may have wondered how it manag-
ed not only to hold on, but to run about go
nimbly. An examination of that wonder
full machine, q fy's foot, by a powerful
microscope, will explain the whole of the
simple continuance by which it seems to set
the laws of gravitation at defiance. There
have been several very clever guesses,
Some have fancied that the hairs on it's foot
could take advantage of the slightest ir-
regularity Of surface; others that the foot
was furnished with natural air pump, by
which the air in its hollow was exhausted,
and that it thus hung like cupping-glass
when applied to flesh, by the pressure of
the atmosphere outside. Now, if we ex-
anime the foot, we shall find it composed
OF a pair of pads with pair Of hooks
above them, and the pads clothed with a
number of very fine short hairs. Each pad
is hollow, with a little nipple. projecting
into it. Behind the nipple is bag con-
nected with it, flied with very clear,
transparent gum. This gum, which is {.
white liquid, exudes from the nipple by
the pressure of the insect in walking. and
fills the hollow. The hairs are also hollow,
with trumpet-shaped mouths; and these
are also thus flied with the gum. This
gum becomes hard the moment it is ex-
posed to the air, and will not dissolve in
water. Thus, at every step, the fly Clues
itself to the surface and SO tenacious is
the gum that one foot is quite sufficient to
bear the weight of the whole suspended
body. If we examine the foot prints of a
fly on window-pane by powerful mag
infer, we shall find that each foot-mark
consists of rows of dots corresponding to
the hairs on the foot-pads; in fact, the foot
print is merely the traces of the gum that
has been left behind. But how is it that
the fly is not glued for life to the spot, at
the very first step it takes 1t might be so,
if it tried to lift up its foot directly in a |
perpendicular direction but it draws it up |
gently in slanting direction, detaching
the hair in single rows, just as we might
remove moist postage stamp by begin
ming at one corner and gently drawing it |
back: When, however, the insect is dis
eased, the gum is very apt to harden, and
1T its death it at once becomes solid. Thus
we may often see dead fly firmly attach
I'd to the wall, or to window-pane, with
/ dull-colored mark on the glass. This ia
caused by the fluid having glued the weak
,r sickly insect to its last resting place,
md having then hardened, the fly is CO.
nented to the spot till it decays away,
eaving the legs behind. Sovery small are
;hese trumpet-shaped hairs, that there are
more than 1000 on this footpad. We may
add that moths, beetles, and all other in
,ects have the same kind of gum secreted
lnder their foot-pads. No less wonderful
g the brain, or rather that which stands
or it, in the fly. But it must not be
thought that insects have brains like the
higher animals. In all these there is a
arge mass of brain protected by the skull,
rom which the spinal cord or marrow.
which is a sort of continuation of the brain.
extends to the extremity of the backbone.
Insects have nothing like this, though thew
lavA what fha |
heir organization. They have what are
,alled gangIions, or large clusters of nerves,
rom which fine threads run in different
directions. But instead of their being COL
ected into one centre, there are different
;roups of them in different parts of the
erent organs of sense, the mouth, the
yes, and the antenne by which they
NELL, those of the thorax or middle Sec
ion of the insect supplying the place of the :
leart, and being the nerve-centre of
lnimal life, while another set supplying
he place of the stomach or abdomen. From
his separation it happens that the life of
he insect chiefly depends on the thorax or
middle part. If this is crushed, the fly is Q
instantly killed, and there is not the sill ght-
st motion afterwards. But if the head be |
ut off, while this ceases to move or to
how any sensibility, the body will move i
Or hours. Ii breathed upon or touched y
nth a needle, there will be an attempt to r
IN or fly !; if dust or water be dropped i
ither on the legs or abdomen, the feet y
I'LL at once begin to rub it off, This
GEMS to prove that these movements of
he insect are at all times not the result of
Intelligence, but simply involuntary natural
ction. I
The amounts of stimulants and narcotics a
sed in the world is beyond all compilation. a
he taste for them is so general that those Y
ho argue in favor of their moderate use
n the ground that nature has implanted a
esire for them, are certainly not without L
A competent German au-
lority, Won Bibra, in his preface to "Die
arkotischen Genuss- Mittel und der
[ensch Imam and the use of narcotics)
ssumes the following: "Coffee leaves, in
lie form of infusions, are taken by 2, 0OO,O
eings; Paraguay tea is consumed by TO- :,
10, 600 cocoa by as many betel is chewed F
= 100000, 600; chicory, either pure or :
liked with coffee, by 10000, 600; cocoa,
Their as chocolate or in some other form,
? 5O,OOO,0O0; 100000, 600 eat or smoke G
lshish; 40O, 900, GOO use opium China tea
drunk by 500, 900 600; coffee by 100, OOO,-
10. All known people of the earth are ad-
cted to the use of tobacco, chiefly in the
rm of smoking; otherwise by shutting or
ewing" 1t will be noticed that, al
ough this includes several articles
ually classed as stimulants, it makes no
ention of the people who consume alcho-
llc drinks in some form. These, it may
} safely assumed, constitute larger num-
II than any mentioned above. 80
Pets in the French Army.-Most COM
mics have an animal. Few but have two