The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-03-10
HUGE rroNsrERs.
Animals and Insects ms Seen Through the
Microscope.


We human beings look with awe upon
our monstrous elephant we fear the lion
and tiger If we should meet any of the
beasts in their native wilds we would be
terror stricken. Yet how much more ter.
rible would be an animal four or five times
as large as an elephant walking on two legs,
covered with shaggy mass of coarse feath.
ers, eyes as large as a wagon wheel, and
sharp beak long enough to reach across the
widest street in town. How our hearts
would sink to see companion seized be-
tween those terrible jaws, hear his bones
crack and crush, see the struggles of his
death agony, and hear his shrieks. This is
he way robin must appear to an insect.
suppose this insect to be gnat. There are
millions OF little animals to which the gnat
Is horrible monster, larger to them than
an elephant is to us. To these tiny animals
gnat is fearful beast, with long, sharp,
murderous looking, blood seeking lance,
ready to punch through their delicate skim
and draw the very life blood from their lit
tie bodies.
We are not accustomed to think much
about the very small insects, even though
they ere quite visible to the eye, or the little
plants which compose the forests through
which they roam. Theirs Is world into
which the refnements of civilization never
enter. Their wild beasts never become OK
terminated, and their hardships are not
ameliorated by the improvements of the
times.
What is to our eyes q harmless little bug,
or bright colored beetle, is to their eyes
and ears shaggy, roaring, rushing beast,
ever ready to deyour them. The micros
cope, however, does not deal with sucl
large things as these, but with another
world infinitely smaller. Animals are seer
which the smallest beetle would crush
under foot as we would trample new born
gnat There are many entire genera and
tribes, thousand of which would not dim
the luster of single drop of crystal spring
WATER They have their struggle for exist
ence with their ferocious enemies they are
born and die, an entire lifetime being spent
within the compass of square inch, and
comprising often but single hour Of time.
Some of these animals, could they live long
enough, would require year to travel a
single foot, and yet under the microscope
they appear to be scurrying hither and
thither at u rapid pace or whirling round
and round in search OF food. To some Of
Them patch of mound is a forest and
blade of grass has the magnitude of Cali
fornia redwood. They lie in wait for their
prey behind grain of sand, and rush out
with the ferocity of man-enting tiger TO
seize some hapless being smaller yet than
they. In their soft nest they would feel
the roughness of scales from butterHy's
wing, and be plagued and stung with the
sharp hair and thorns protruding from a
houseAy's body.
II 1t could be possible for MS to hear the
sounds made by these tiny beings, or even
/ 9 smallest insects and other animals, what
IN interesting thing II would be-, -sAa
.ssun nBnAfg, Kiiling and eating each
,ther see great commotions and disturb
,nces, see them lashing the water, creating
shinp streams upon which their prey is
borne toward them observe battles ofsuch
ferocity that we almost draw from the in
strument, but not a sound is heard. 1t is
like looking at men disputing who are be-
yond the hearing. They gesticulate, stamp,
threaten or fight, but no sound comes TO
Indicate the cause. When looking through
the lens at some pantomime the observer
can often catch himself listening, perhaps
hoping TO hear growl or the snap OF teeth.