The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-12-10
MGR 0sCOPIC W ONDERs.

EFirst catch your fly This fea
was accomplished by the professo
with a sort of graceful dexterit.
that would have reflected credi
upon any 10-year-old urchin VIII
ever croened out his wearisomt
tasks during long summers after
noon in country schoolhouse-ac
companied, however, by a solemn
earnestneSs of pursuit which for.
babe all unseemly leYity. The
little captive was adjudged suffi-
GENTLY adequate for scientific de-
yelopment, having, as the professor
observed, a guilty look, although
wherefore was not demonstrated,
and he was forthwith condemned to
decapitation. his ceremony was
performed BIZ placing him uEder a
small microscope, and a deft. sharp
instrument quickly severed his de-
voted head from the trunk las neatly
as ever the guillotine of sunny
France ever cut short the career of
an obnoxious loyalist. The head
was then paced under a more
powerful instrument, which re-
Vealed its grand proportions to the
Impractical eye. It was a nobby
head, evidently belonging to one of
the more cultured class of flies, in
spite of first impressions. It must
be confessed, however, that
it ran considerably to eye
ball-eyes large enough in proper
ton to the rest of the structure
to satisfy the most ardent poet, al
though not livid or dreamy, being,
on the contrary, very dull and of a
reddish brown color. The express
sion, if they ever had any, was gone,
and nothing but stony, martyr-like
gaze remained. After this examin-
ton, another successful operation
was performed, and the head was
split open, revealing its curious and
complicated structure; after which
the tongue of the insect was care.
fully extracted, the nlo0lItS Op0TGHdi
being the application Of light
pressure above the organ, causing
it to protrude its full length, when
it was skillfully removed, care being
taken not to mutillate it. Under
the microscope the probocis bore a
decided resemblance to a rough, I'M
even log, overgrown with dark,
thick moss, at one end of which
were number of black projections
having the appearance of heavy
spikes driven into the log. but which
were In reality infinitely small hairs.
1t was certainly a formidable look
ing object in its magnitied state.
The experienced eye of the professor
detected a Slight vibration upon the
surface Of the log, and that .particu-
lar specimen of fy-tongue was pro-
nounced one of those for which we
sought. The tongue was inhabited ;
and again the fly proved a success.
The operation which followed was
one of extreme caution and painful
manipulation, and consisted in split
ting the organ lengthwise, which
was successfully accomplished I'm
der the small microscope. with in
struments of most delicate texture
requiring the greatest care
in their use. The opera
ton resulted favora5ly, and
sure enough the "cntter" was there.
He had taken up his residence for
the time being inside the tongue,
although it has been demOnstra ted
that he possesses the power OF
roaming at his own sweet will
either inside or outside of his field
of operation. He was captured
without much Of a contest, and was
imprisoned in a small drop Of water
which was placed upon a glass
slide with a eoncave centre, and
subjected to the searching revela,
tions of the microscope. He ap-
Beared to take naturally to his new
element, and manifested surprising
activity in his liquid quarters. He
was pronounced by the prof lessor tC
be very handsome specimen. He
was almost transparent, had fla
nead, and the body of a serpent
And how he did squirm, filing tht
entire space of his miniture aqua
rum with his writings and con
vulsions. By actual measurement
this one was found by Mr.. Nickel
borough TO be $4,000 of an inch il
diameter. The greatest number hi
has ever found on a single fly:
tongue was three-enough, in al
consciencel - Cincinnati CONNER
ciGl.