Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-07-10
MUSCULAR STRENGTH OF INSECTS.

IT is an interesting study to compare the
motive power of birds and insects, and
recent experiments prove that they are SUI
perior IN this respect to quadrupeds, espec-
tally when the possibility of aerial naviga-
GOn is taken into account. In few min
utes the condor will soar many miles in
height; the swallow is not weary of de-
scribing its rapid and graceful curves for
fifteen hours at a time. 1t has been
calculated that the eagle, with its rapid
flight, produces an effort sufficient to raise
and bear up its own weight equal to
tweRty-siX horse power.
Insect organization is as full of wonders
rs that of the bird The energy which
lives in these curious little creatures may
we'll excite the wonder of an observer. eff
YOU compare their loads with the size of
their bodies,' said Pliny in speaking of
ants, at must be allowed that no other an
imal is endowed with such immense
strength in proportion" Sir Walter
Scott suggests the same idea. When d
beetle is placed under candlestick it
wili move it in its efforts to escape; which
is relatively the same thing as a prisoner
in NeWgate shaking the building with his
back. Linnaus remarks that an elephant
having the force of a horn-beetle would be
;3&ie 10 move mountain.
Dir, Felix Plateau, a young Belgian
naturalist and son of the celebrated
physician, has lately tried some very deli
cafe experiments to measure the muscular
strength Of insects, as others have done
with man and the horse The strength of
the last two is estimated by the aid of
machine called the dynamometer, where
the tension of spring is counterbalanced
ny an effort exercised for very short
time. A man, it is found, has power of
traction equal to fivesixths of his weight,
n horse only the half or two-thirds of his
weight; but this is very small in compar-
2s0n with the strength of insects, many of
which can draw forty times that amount
The way in which NJ Plateau has meas
uTed these powers is ingenious. He har
messed the insect by horizontal
thread, which was passed over a light,
movable pulley; to this was attach
cd balance loaded with a few grains
OF sand. TO prevent the insect turn
ing aside, he made it walk between two
bars OF glass on board covered with mus
lin, So rs to afford rough surface; ex-
citing it forward, he gradually poured
fresh sand into the balance until it refused
To advance farther the sand and the in
sect were then weighed, and the expert
ment was repeated three times, in order 10
arrive 1t a correct conclusion as to the
greatest effort that each could make The
tables which give the result Of these trials
Sccm clearly to demonstrate that in the
same group of insects the lightest and
smallest possess the greatest strength; so
hat the relative force is in inverse ratio
20 the weight. Tho law applies also to
the experiments in flying and pushing, as
well as to drawing.
This law, assuredly very curious and
Interesting in the economy of nature, has
been confirmed by trying dozen individ-
uals Of various species in order to obtain
results more approaching to the truth.
These have been fully successful in con-
irning previous experence-for exam
pie, the drone is four times the weight of
sie bee, yet it can only drag a weight fif-
teen times greater than its own
whilst the bee easily draws TWEEN
ty-three or twenty -four times its own
bulk. In flying, it can raise weight very
little interior to its own; whilst the drone
can only transport in this manner half its
own weight. The law in question appears
also to apply not only to the species
which belong to the same chronological
subdivision, but in a certain measure to
1he entire class of insects 1t is true that
If the species examined are arranged by
the Increasing order of their weight, the
corresponding relations which express
their relative force are not always exactly
progressive. There are exceptions, which
may be explained by the difference of
structure. The law holds good if they
are divided into three groups, comprising,
respectively, the lightest insects, those of
a middle size, and the heaviest. In this
way the relative force is represented for
the first group by twenty-six; for the sec
ond, by nineteen; for the last, by nine
This relates only to the power of traction :;
# that in flying be taken into cOnsidera-
.tion, the lightest can far surpass the heav-
cst-the first being equal to one aud one
third; the last is but one-half The strong
est insects appear to be those so familiar
30 the naturalist, which live on lilies and
roses, such as the Crioceres and Trichies
these little beings can draw a weight
about forty times superior to their own,
and one, an athlete of the tribe, drew
sixty -seven times its own weight A small
beetle of the tribe aaomale has executed
the same feat
Another more remarkable fact is related
of horn-beetle, which held between its
mandlbles, alternately raising and lower
2ng It's head and breast rod of thirty
centlmetres long, weighing four hundred
grammes; Its own weight was but two
EfaInlutS- Az inc size OF this insect what
are the acrobats who can carry a table he
tween their teeth! Such examples show
TO what an extent insects are superior 70
ehe larger animals in the strength of their
muscles. Dry and nervous, they can, in
proportion to themselves, move noun
tains. In addition to this, they are in
genious; when an obstacle does not Weld
TO them, they know how to turn it aside.
One day, in a garden, small wasp was
trying to raise a caterpillar, which it had
gust killed. The caterpillar was at least
nVe or SIX times heavier than its conquer
or, which could not gain its end. Six
times successfully, wearied of the war, and
despalrlng OF success, it abandoned its
prey and sadly placed itself at some dis
lance. At last bright idea saved it from
ats embarrassment; it returned, placed it
self across the caterpillar, as if on horse
back; with its two middle feet it embraced
The body of its VICTIM raised it against its
: breast, and managed to walk on the four
feet which were at liberty; thus it soon
crossed walk of six feet wide, and laid
It's prey against wall.
Investigations have been made regard
ing the jumping insects of the order Or
shoptera-the weight which crickets and
grasshoppers can raise when jumping
To prevent them using their wings, NJ
Plateau tied them and the elytra or outer
sheaths with thread. The burden was