Previous Index Next


16

having the spiracula, or breathing holes, is them, and the last terminates in the tail.

The members which adhere to the thorax and the abdomen, are the stir, the legs, the halien es, the pectines, and the wings.

The sting is a curious instrument, by which some of them inflict a painful woe ndas I sup pose you have experienced. It consists of two valves, from whence the creature puts forth a rigid bristle, tiitt conveys a very subtle poison.

The legs are geaerally six ; but mites, spiders, scorpions, and crabs, have eight, and sonic others have many more. The first joint; is called femur, or thigh; the second, tibia, or leg; and the third, tarsus, or foot; which con monly consists of several small joints, termi .nating in two hooked claws that form the fbot,

The Italteres resemble two minute bladders, flxcd on a short footstalk, and arc situated, one under each wing : these poisers, as they are often called, are only to be found in the two winged insects, and are supposed to serve asbalances, to keep the fly steady.

The use of the pectines is unknown: they are peculiar to the genus scorpis, the species of which are distinguished by the nunibe of teeth on cacti pecten. They are placed one on each side, between the breast and the qbdomen.

The


Previous Index Next