DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68888#0299
M I C R O G R A P H I A.
dr skins, such as the Wings of Dragon-ssys 5 in others, those skins are ail
over-grown, or pretty thick bestuck, with sliort brides, as in Flesh-ssies 5
in others, those dimes are covered, both on the upper and under side,
with small Feathers, plac’d almosr like the tyleson a House, and are
curioussy rang’d and adorn’d with most lively colours, as is ob-
servable in Buttet-ssies, and several kinds of Moths 5 In others, instead of
their films, Nature has provided nothing, but a matter of half a score
stalks(if I well remember the number} for I have not lately met with any
of these ssys, and did not,when I first observ’d them, take sufficient notice
of divers particulars) and each of these stalks, with a few single branch-
ings on each side, resembling much the branched back-bone of a Herring
or the like Fish, or a thin hair’d Peacocks feather, the top or the eye
being broken off With a few of these on either side(which it was able to
ihut up or expand at pleasure, much like a Fann, or rather like the po-
sture of the feathers in a wing, which ly all one under another, when
[hut, and by the side of each other, when expanded) this pretty little
grey Moth (for such was the creature I obierv’d, thus wing’d) could ve-
ry nimbly, and as it seem’d very easily move its corpufcle, through the
Air,from place to place. Other Insers have their wings cas’d, or cover’d
over,with certain hollow Ihells, shap’d almost like those hollow Trayes,
in which Butchers carry meat, whose hollow sides being turn’d down-
wards, do not only secure their folded wings from injury of the earth,
in which most of those creatures reside, but whilst they ssyy serves as a
help to sustain and bear them up. And these are obiervable in Scarabees
and a multitude of other terrestrial cruflaceous Insests 5 in which we may
yet further observe a particular providence of Nature.
Now in all these kinds of wings, we observe this particular, as a thing
most worthy remark 5 that where ever a wing consists of difcontinued
parts, the Pores or interfitia between those parts are very seldom, either
much bigger,or much (mailer, then these which we here find between the
particles of these brushes, so that it should seem to intimate, that the
parts of the Air are such, that they will not easily or readily, if at all, pass
through these Pores, so that they seem to be strainers fine enough to hin-
der the particles of the Air (whether hinder’d by their bulk, or by their
agitation^ circulation^ rotation or undulation, I (hall not here determine)
from getting through them,and,by that means,serve the Animal as well,if
not better, then if they were little films. I say, if not better, because I
have obierv’d that all those creatures, that have film’d wings, move them
aboundantly quicker and more strongly,such as all kind of Flies and Sea*
rabees and Batts, then such as have their wings covered with feathers, as
Butter-ssies and Birds, or twiggs, as Moths, which have each of them a
much slower motion of their wings 5 That little ruggedness perhaps of
their wings helping them somewhat,by taking better hold of the parts of
the Air, or not sullering them so easily to pass by, any other way then one.
But what ever be the reasbn of it, tis most evident, that the smooth
wing’d Insers have the strongest Muscles or movent parts of their wings>
and the other much weaker 5 and this very Jnseft, we are now describing,
had
197
dr skins, such as the Wings of Dragon-ssys 5 in others, those skins are ail
over-grown, or pretty thick bestuck, with sliort brides, as in Flesh-ssies 5
in others, those dimes are covered, both on the upper and under side,
with small Feathers, plac’d almosr like the tyleson a House, and are
curioussy rang’d and adorn’d with most lively colours, as is ob-
servable in Buttet-ssies, and several kinds of Moths 5 In others, instead of
their films, Nature has provided nothing, but a matter of half a score
stalks(if I well remember the number} for I have not lately met with any
of these ssys, and did not,when I first observ’d them, take sufficient notice
of divers particulars) and each of these stalks, with a few single branch-
ings on each side, resembling much the branched back-bone of a Herring
or the like Fish, or a thin hair’d Peacocks feather, the top or the eye
being broken off With a few of these on either side(which it was able to
ihut up or expand at pleasure, much like a Fann, or rather like the po-
sture of the feathers in a wing, which ly all one under another, when
[hut, and by the side of each other, when expanded) this pretty little
grey Moth (for such was the creature I obierv’d, thus wing’d) could ve-
ry nimbly, and as it seem’d very easily move its corpufcle, through the
Air,from place to place. Other Insers have their wings cas’d, or cover’d
over,with certain hollow Ihells, shap’d almost like those hollow Trayes,
in which Butchers carry meat, whose hollow sides being turn’d down-
wards, do not only secure their folded wings from injury of the earth,
in which most of those creatures reside, but whilst they ssyy serves as a
help to sustain and bear them up. And these are obiervable in Scarabees
and a multitude of other terrestrial cruflaceous Insests 5 in which we may
yet further observe a particular providence of Nature.
Now in all these kinds of wings, we observe this particular, as a thing
most worthy remark 5 that where ever a wing consists of difcontinued
parts, the Pores or interfitia between those parts are very seldom, either
much bigger,or much (mailer, then these which we here find between the
particles of these brushes, so that it should seem to intimate, that the
parts of the Air are such, that they will not easily or readily, if at all, pass
through these Pores, so that they seem to be strainers fine enough to hin-
der the particles of the Air (whether hinder’d by their bulk, or by their
agitation^ circulation^ rotation or undulation, I (hall not here determine)
from getting through them,and,by that means,serve the Animal as well,if
not better, then if they were little films. I say, if not better, because I
have obierv’d that all those creatures, that have film’d wings, move them
aboundantly quicker and more strongly,such as all kind of Flies and Sea*
rabees and Batts, then such as have their wings covered with feathers, as
Butter-ssies and Birds, or twiggs, as Moths, which have each of them a
much slower motion of their wings 5 That little ruggedness perhaps of
their wings helping them somewhat,by taking better hold of the parts of
the Air, or not sullering them so easily to pass by, any other way then one.
But what ever be the reasbn of it, tis most evident, that the smooth
wing’d Insers have the strongest Muscles or movent parts of their wings>
and the other much weaker 5 and this very Jnseft, we are now describing,
had
197