Chapter 73

CHAP. IV.Of thePartsandMotionofInsects.

Of thePartsandMotionofInsects.

From the Head, pass we to the Members, concern’d in their Motion. And here we have a copious Subject, if I was minded to expatiate. I might take Notice of the admirable Mechanism in those that creep; the curious Oars inthose amphibious Insects that swim and walk[a]; the incomparable Provision made in the Feet of such as walk, or hang upon smooth Surfaces[b]; the great Strength and Spring in the Legs of such as leap[c]; the strong and well-made Feet and Talons of such as dig[d]: And to name no more, the admirable Faculty of such as cannot fly, to convey themselves with Speed and Safety, by the Help of their Webs[e], or some other Artifice tomake their Bodies lighter than the Air[f]: These, and a Multitude of other such like Things as these,I might, I say, take Notice of, as great Evidences of the infinite Creator’s Wisdom: But lest I should be too tedious, I will confine my Observations to the Legs and Wings only. And these, at first View, we find to be incomparably fitted up for their intended Service, not to over-load the body, not in the least to retard it; but to give it the most proper and convenient Motion. What, for Example, can be better contriv’d, and made for this Service, than the Wings? Distended and strengthen’d by the finest Bones, and these cover’d with the finest and lightest Membranes, some of them adorn’d with neat and beautiful Feathers[g]; and many of them provided with the finest Articulations, and Foldings, for the Wings to be withdrawn, and neatly laid up in theirVaginæ, and Cases, and again readily extended for Flight[h].

And then for the Poising of the Body, and keeping it upright, and steady in Flight, it is an admirable Artifice and Provision for this Purpose; in some, by four Wings[i]; and in such as have but two, by Pointels, and Poises plac’d under the Wings, on each Side the Body.

And lastly, It is an amazing Thing to reflect upon the surprizing Minuteness, Art, and Curiosity of the[k]Joynts, the Muscles, the Tendons, the Nerves, necessary to perform all the Motions of the Legs, the Wings, and every other Part. I have already mention’d this in the larger Animals; but to consider, that all these Things concur in minute Animals, even in the smallest Mite; yea,the Animalcules, that, (without good Microscopes,) escape our Sight; to consider, I say, that those minutest Animals have all the Joynts, Bones, Muscles, Tendons and Nerves, necessary to that brisk and swift Motion that many of them have, is so stupendous a Piece of curious Art[l], as plainly manifesteth the Power and Wisdom of the infinite Contriver of those inimitable Fineries. But having nam’d those minute Animals, Why should I mention only any one Part of their Bodies, when we have, in that little Compass, a whole and compleat Body, as exquisitely form’d, and, (as far as our Scrutiny can possibly reach,) as neatly adorn’d as the largest Animal? Let us consider, that there we have Eyes, a Brain, a Mouth, a Stomach, Entrails,and every other Part of an animal Body, as well as Legs and Feet; and that all those Parts have each of them their necessaryApparatusof Nerves, of various Muscles, and every other Part that other Insects have; and that all is cover’d and guarded with a well-made Tegument, beset with Bristles, adorn’d with neat Imbrications, and many other Fineries. And lastly, Let us consider in how little Compass all Art and Curiosity may lie, even in a Body many Times less than a small Grain of Sand[m]; so that the least Drop of Water can contain many of them, and afford them also sufficient Room to dance and frisk about in[n].

Having survey’d as many of the Parts of Insects as I care to take Notice of; I shall in the next Place say somewhat of their State, and Circumstances of Life. And here I shall take Notice only of two Things, which have been only hinted at before; but will deserve more particular Consideration here, as being Acts of a wonderful Instinct; namely, Their Security of themselves against Winter; and their special Care of preserving their Species.

FOOTNOTES:[a]All the Families ofHydrocanthari,Notonecti, &c. have their hindmost Legs made very nicely, with commodious Joynts flat, and Bristles on each Sides towards the End, serving for Oars to swim; and then, nearer the Body, are two stiff Spikes, to enable them to walk when Occasion is.[b]I might here name divers Flies, and other Insects, who, besides their sharp hook’d Nails, have alto skinny Palms to their Feet, to enable them to stick on Glass, and other smooth Bodies, by Means of the Pressure of the Atmosphere. But because the Example will illustrate another Work of Nature, as well as this, I shall chuse a singular Piece of Mechanism, in one of the largest Sorts ofHydrocanthari. Of these large ones there are two Sorts, one largest, all black, withAntennæhandsomely emboss’d at the Ends. The other somewhat lesser, hardly so black, with capillaryAntennæ; the Forehead, Edges of theVaginæ, and two Rings on theThorax, of a tawney Colour. The Female hathVaginæprettily furrow’d, the Male smooth. But that which is most to our Purpose in this Male, is a Flap, or hollowish Cap near the middle Joynt of the Fore-legs; which when clap’d on the Shoulders of the Femalein Coitu, sticks firmly thereon: After the Manner as I have seen Boys carry heavy Stones, with only a wet Piece of Leather clap’d on the Top of the Stone.[c]Thus,GrasshoppersandCricketshave brawny strong Thighs, with long, slender, but strong Legs, which enable them to leap with great Agility and Strength.[d]I have wonder’d to see with what great Quickness, Art and Strength, manyVespæ-Ichneumons,Wild-Bees, andBeetles, perforate the Earth; yea, even Wood it self: But the most remarkable Animal to this Way, is theMole-CricketinBook IV. Chap. 13. Note (s).[e]I have with Pleasure often seen Spiders dart out their Webs, and sail away by the Help thereof. For the Manner of which, see Mr.Lowth, Abridg.Vol. 2. p. 794.from Dr.Listerand Dr.Hulse, who both claim’d the Discovery thereof. And do both seem to have hit thereupon, without any Foreknowledge of what each other hath discover’d, as is said in the last cited Place, and as I more particularly find by Mr.Ray’sPhilos.Letters, PrintedAnn. 1718. p. 95,&c.By which also I find the two ingenious Doctors were very modest in their Claims, and very amicable in the Matter. In one of Dr.Lister’s to Mr.Ray, he thinks there is a fair Hint of the Darting of Spiders inArist. Hist. An.L. 9. c. 39. And inPliny, L. 11. c. 24. But for their Sailing, that the Ancients are silent of, and he thinks it was seen first by him. And in another Letter,Jan. 20, 1670, speaking of the Height Spiders are able to fly, he saith,The lastOctober, &c. I took Notice, that the Air was very full of Webs, I forthwith mounted to the Top of the highest Steeple on the Minster,[in York,]and could thence discern them yet exceeding high above me. Some that fell, and were intangled upon the Pinacles, I took and found them to beLupi: which Kind seldom or never enter Houses, and cannot be suppos’d to have taken their Flight from the Steeple.[f]There are, (I imagine,) divers Animals, as well as Spiders, that have some Way of Conveyance, as little known to us, as that of Spiders formerly was. Thus theSquillulæ,pulices Arborescentes, andmicroscopical Animalculesof the stagnating Waters, so numerous in them, as to discolour sometimes the Water, and make them look as if they were tinged Red, Yellow or Green, or cover’d with a thick green Scum; all which is nothing but Animalcules of that Colour. That these Creatures have some Way of Conveyance, I conclude: because most stagnating Waters are stock’d with them; new Pits and Ponds, yea, Holes and Gutters on the Tops of Houses and Steeples. That they are not bred there by æquivocal Generation, every ingenious, considering Philosopher will grant; that they have not Legs for travelling so far, is manifest from Inspection: And therefore I am apt to think, that they have some Faculty of inflating their Bodies, or darting out Webs, and making their Bodies buoyant, and lighter than Air; or their Bodies, when dry, may be lighter than Air, and so they can swim from Place to Place; or the Eggs of such as are oviparous, may be light enough to float in the Air. But then the Viviparous, (as my late ingenious Friend, Mr.Charles King, shew’d me thePulices aquat. arbores.are; these I say,) can’t be this Way accounted for. The Cause of these latter Suspicions was, that in the Summer Months, I have seen thePulices arbores.and the green Scum on the Waters, (nothing but Animalcules, as I said,) lie in a Manner dry on the Surface of the Waters; at which Time, (as I have shewn inBook IV. Chap. 11. Note (n),) those Animalcules copulate; and perhaps, they may at the same Time change their Quarters, and seek out new Habitations for their numerous Offspring, as well as themselves.[g]It is well known to all Persons any Way conversant in microscopical Observations, that these elegant Colours ofMoths, andButterflies, are owing to neat and well-made Feathers, set with great Curiosity and Exactness in Rows, and good Order.[h]All that haveElytra,Scarabs(who have wholeElytra, or reaching to thePodex,) or the Ἡμικουλεόπτεροι, such asEarwigs, andStaphyliniof all Sorts, do, by a very curious Mechanism, extend and withdraw their membranaceous Wings, (wherewith they chiefly fly;) and it is very pretty to see them prepare themselves for Flight, by thrusting out, and unfolding their Wings; and again withdraw those Joynts, and neatly fold in the Membranes, to be laid up safely in theirElytraor Cases. For which Service the Bones are well plac’d, and the Joynts ministring thereunto are accurately contriv’d, for the most compendious, and commodious folding up the Wings.[i]For the keeping the Body steady and upright in Flight, it generally holds true, (if I mistake not,) that all bipennated Insects havePoisesjoyn’d to the Body, under the hinder Part of their Wings; but such as have four Wings, or Wings withElytra, none. If one of the Poises, or one of the lesser auxiliary Wings be cut off, the Insect will fly as if one Side overbalanc’d the other, until it falleth on the Ground; so if both be cut of, they will fly aukwardly, and unsteadily, manifesting the Defect of some very necessary Part. ThesePoises, orPointellsare, for the most Part, little Balls, set at the Top of a slender Stalk, which they can move every Way at Pleasure. In some they stand alone, in others, (as in the wholeFlesh-FlyTribe,) they have little Covers or Shields, under which they lie and move. The Use, no doubt, of thesePoises, andsecondarylesser Wings, is to poise the Body, and to obviate all the Vacillations thereof in flight; serving to the Insect, as the long Pole, laden at the Ends with Lead, doth theRopedancer.[k]As all the Parts of Animals are mov’d by the Help of these; so there is, no doubt, but the minutest Animals have such like Parts: But the Muscles and Tendons of some of the larger Insects, and some of the lesser too, may be seen with a Microscope.[l]The minute Curiosities, and inimitable Fineries, observable in those lesser Animals, in which our best Microscopes discover no Botch, no rude ill-made Work, (contrary to what is in all artificial Works of Man,) Do they not far more deserve our Admiration, than those celebrated Pieces of humane Art? Such as the Cup made of a Pepper-Corn, byOswald Nerlinger, that held 1200 ivory Cups, all gilt on the Edges, and having each of them a Foot, and yet affording Room for 400 more, in theEphem. Germ.T. 1. Addend. ad Obs. 13. Such also wasPhaëtonin a Ring, whichGalenthus reflects upon, when he speaks of the Art and Wisdom of the Maker of Animals, particularly such as are small,Quanto, saith he,ipsum minus fuerit, tanto majorem admirationem tibi excitabit; quod declarant Opifices cùm in corporibus parvis aliquid insculpant: cujus generis est quòd nuper quidam in Annulo Phaëtonta quatuor equis invectum sculpsit. Omnes enim æqui frænum, os, & dentes anteriores habebant,&c.And then having taken Notice, that the Legs were no bigger than those of aGnat, he shews that their Make did not come up to those of theGnat; as also, saith he,Major adhuc alia quædam esse videtur artis ejus, qui Pulicem condidit, Vis atque Sapientia, quod,&c.Cùm igitur Ars tanta in tam abjectis animalibus appareat,——quantam ejus Vim ac Sapientiam in præstantioribus inesse putabimus?Galen. de Us. Part. L. 17. c. 1. fin.[m]It will in some Measure appear, how wonderfully minute some microscopical Animalcules are, by what follows inthe next Note. But because more particular Examples would be endless, I shall refer to the Observations of Mr.Leuwenhoeck, and others, in thePhilos. Trans.and elsewhere.[n]It is almost impossible, by Reason of their perpetual Motion, and changing Places, to count the Number of the Animalcules, in only a Drop of the green Scum upon Water; but I guess I have sometimes seen not fewer than 100 frisking about in a Drop no bigger than a Pin’s Head. But in such a Drop of Pepper-water, a far greater Number; these being much less than those.

[a]All the Families ofHydrocanthari,Notonecti, &c. have their hindmost Legs made very nicely, with commodious Joynts flat, and Bristles on each Sides towards the End, serving for Oars to swim; and then, nearer the Body, are two stiff Spikes, to enable them to walk when Occasion is.

[b]I might here name divers Flies, and other Insects, who, besides their sharp hook’d Nails, have alto skinny Palms to their Feet, to enable them to stick on Glass, and other smooth Bodies, by Means of the Pressure of the Atmosphere. But because the Example will illustrate another Work of Nature, as well as this, I shall chuse a singular Piece of Mechanism, in one of the largest Sorts ofHydrocanthari. Of these large ones there are two Sorts, one largest, all black, withAntennæhandsomely emboss’d at the Ends. The other somewhat lesser, hardly so black, with capillaryAntennæ; the Forehead, Edges of theVaginæ, and two Rings on theThorax, of a tawney Colour. The Female hathVaginæprettily furrow’d, the Male smooth. But that which is most to our Purpose in this Male, is a Flap, or hollowish Cap near the middle Joynt of the Fore-legs; which when clap’d on the Shoulders of the Femalein Coitu, sticks firmly thereon: After the Manner as I have seen Boys carry heavy Stones, with only a wet Piece of Leather clap’d on the Top of the Stone.

[c]Thus,GrasshoppersandCricketshave brawny strong Thighs, with long, slender, but strong Legs, which enable them to leap with great Agility and Strength.

[d]I have wonder’d to see with what great Quickness, Art and Strength, manyVespæ-Ichneumons,Wild-Bees, andBeetles, perforate the Earth; yea, even Wood it self: But the most remarkable Animal to this Way, is theMole-CricketinBook IV. Chap. 13. Note (s).

[e]I have with Pleasure often seen Spiders dart out their Webs, and sail away by the Help thereof. For the Manner of which, see Mr.Lowth, Abridg.Vol. 2. p. 794.from Dr.Listerand Dr.Hulse, who both claim’d the Discovery thereof. And do both seem to have hit thereupon, without any Foreknowledge of what each other hath discover’d, as is said in the last cited Place, and as I more particularly find by Mr.Ray’sPhilos.Letters, PrintedAnn. 1718. p. 95,&c.By which also I find the two ingenious Doctors were very modest in their Claims, and very amicable in the Matter. In one of Dr.Lister’s to Mr.Ray, he thinks there is a fair Hint of the Darting of Spiders inArist. Hist. An.L. 9. c. 39. And inPliny, L. 11. c. 24. But for their Sailing, that the Ancients are silent of, and he thinks it was seen first by him. And in another Letter,Jan. 20, 1670, speaking of the Height Spiders are able to fly, he saith,The lastOctober, &c. I took Notice, that the Air was very full of Webs, I forthwith mounted to the Top of the highest Steeple on the Minster,[in York,]and could thence discern them yet exceeding high above me. Some that fell, and were intangled upon the Pinacles, I took and found them to beLupi: which Kind seldom or never enter Houses, and cannot be suppos’d to have taken their Flight from the Steeple.

[f]There are, (I imagine,) divers Animals, as well as Spiders, that have some Way of Conveyance, as little known to us, as that of Spiders formerly was. Thus theSquillulæ,pulices Arborescentes, andmicroscopical Animalculesof the stagnating Waters, so numerous in them, as to discolour sometimes the Water, and make them look as if they were tinged Red, Yellow or Green, or cover’d with a thick green Scum; all which is nothing but Animalcules of that Colour. That these Creatures have some Way of Conveyance, I conclude: because most stagnating Waters are stock’d with them; new Pits and Ponds, yea, Holes and Gutters on the Tops of Houses and Steeples. That they are not bred there by æquivocal Generation, every ingenious, considering Philosopher will grant; that they have not Legs for travelling so far, is manifest from Inspection: And therefore I am apt to think, that they have some Faculty of inflating their Bodies, or darting out Webs, and making their Bodies buoyant, and lighter than Air; or their Bodies, when dry, may be lighter than Air, and so they can swim from Place to Place; or the Eggs of such as are oviparous, may be light enough to float in the Air. But then the Viviparous, (as my late ingenious Friend, Mr.Charles King, shew’d me thePulices aquat. arbores.are; these I say,) can’t be this Way accounted for. The Cause of these latter Suspicions was, that in the Summer Months, I have seen thePulices arbores.and the green Scum on the Waters, (nothing but Animalcules, as I said,) lie in a Manner dry on the Surface of the Waters; at which Time, (as I have shewn inBook IV. Chap. 11. Note (n),) those Animalcules copulate; and perhaps, they may at the same Time change their Quarters, and seek out new Habitations for their numerous Offspring, as well as themselves.

[g]It is well known to all Persons any Way conversant in microscopical Observations, that these elegant Colours ofMoths, andButterflies, are owing to neat and well-made Feathers, set with great Curiosity and Exactness in Rows, and good Order.

[h]All that haveElytra,Scarabs(who have wholeElytra, or reaching to thePodex,) or the Ἡμικουλεόπτεροι, such asEarwigs, andStaphyliniof all Sorts, do, by a very curious Mechanism, extend and withdraw their membranaceous Wings, (wherewith they chiefly fly;) and it is very pretty to see them prepare themselves for Flight, by thrusting out, and unfolding their Wings; and again withdraw those Joynts, and neatly fold in the Membranes, to be laid up safely in theirElytraor Cases. For which Service the Bones are well plac’d, and the Joynts ministring thereunto are accurately contriv’d, for the most compendious, and commodious folding up the Wings.

[i]For the keeping the Body steady and upright in Flight, it generally holds true, (if I mistake not,) that all bipennated Insects havePoisesjoyn’d to the Body, under the hinder Part of their Wings; but such as have four Wings, or Wings withElytra, none. If one of the Poises, or one of the lesser auxiliary Wings be cut off, the Insect will fly as if one Side overbalanc’d the other, until it falleth on the Ground; so if both be cut of, they will fly aukwardly, and unsteadily, manifesting the Defect of some very necessary Part. ThesePoises, orPointellsare, for the most Part, little Balls, set at the Top of a slender Stalk, which they can move every Way at Pleasure. In some they stand alone, in others, (as in the wholeFlesh-FlyTribe,) they have little Covers or Shields, under which they lie and move. The Use, no doubt, of thesePoises, andsecondarylesser Wings, is to poise the Body, and to obviate all the Vacillations thereof in flight; serving to the Insect, as the long Pole, laden at the Ends with Lead, doth theRopedancer.

[k]As all the Parts of Animals are mov’d by the Help of these; so there is, no doubt, but the minutest Animals have such like Parts: But the Muscles and Tendons of some of the larger Insects, and some of the lesser too, may be seen with a Microscope.

[l]The minute Curiosities, and inimitable Fineries, observable in those lesser Animals, in which our best Microscopes discover no Botch, no rude ill-made Work, (contrary to what is in all artificial Works of Man,) Do they not far more deserve our Admiration, than those celebrated Pieces of humane Art? Such as the Cup made of a Pepper-Corn, byOswald Nerlinger, that held 1200 ivory Cups, all gilt on the Edges, and having each of them a Foot, and yet affording Room for 400 more, in theEphem. Germ.T. 1. Addend. ad Obs. 13. Such also wasPhaëtonin a Ring, whichGalenthus reflects upon, when he speaks of the Art and Wisdom of the Maker of Animals, particularly such as are small,Quanto, saith he,ipsum minus fuerit, tanto majorem admirationem tibi excitabit; quod declarant Opifices cùm in corporibus parvis aliquid insculpant: cujus generis est quòd nuper quidam in Annulo Phaëtonta quatuor equis invectum sculpsit. Omnes enim æqui frænum, os, & dentes anteriores habebant,&c.And then having taken Notice, that the Legs were no bigger than those of aGnat, he shews that their Make did not come up to those of theGnat; as also, saith he,Major adhuc alia quædam esse videtur artis ejus, qui Pulicem condidit, Vis atque Sapientia, quod,&c.Cùm igitur Ars tanta in tam abjectis animalibus appareat,——quantam ejus Vim ac Sapientiam in præstantioribus inesse putabimus?Galen. de Us. Part. L. 17. c. 1. fin.

[m]It will in some Measure appear, how wonderfully minute some microscopical Animalcules are, by what follows inthe next Note. But because more particular Examples would be endless, I shall refer to the Observations of Mr.Leuwenhoeck, and others, in thePhilos. Trans.and elsewhere.

[n]It is almost impossible, by Reason of their perpetual Motion, and changing Places, to count the Number of the Animalcules, in only a Drop of the green Scum upon Water; but I guess I have sometimes seen not fewer than 100 frisking about in a Drop no bigger than a Pin’s Head. But in such a Drop of Pepper-water, a far greater Number; these being much less than those.

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