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Micrographia by Robert Hooke

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So that we see, that though it has pleas'd the All-wise Creator, to indue
this creature with such multitudes of eyes, yet has he not indued it with
the faculty of seeing more then another creature; for whereas this cannot
move his head, at least can move it very little, without moving his whole
body, _biocular_ creatures can in an instant (or _the twinkling of an eye_,
which, being very quick, is vulgarly used in the same signification) move
their eyes so as to direct the optick _Axis_ to any point; nor is it
probable, that they are able to see attentively at one time more then one
Physical point; for though there be a distinct Image made in every eye, yet
'tis very likely, that the observing faculty is only imploy'd about some
one object for which they have most concern.

Now, as we accurately distinguish the site or position of an Object by the
motion of the Muscles of the eye requisite to put the optick Line in a
direct position, and confusedly by the position of the imperfect Picture of
the object at the bottom of the eye; so are these _crustaceous_ creatures
able to judge confusedly of the position of objects by the Picture or
impression made at the bottom of the opposite Pearl, and distinctly by the
removal of the attentive or observing faculty, from one Pearl to another,
but what this faculty is, as it requires another place, so a much deeper
speculation. Now, because it were impossible, even with this multitude of
eye-balls, to see any object distinct (for as I hinted before, onely those
parts that lay in, or very neer, the optick Lines could be so) the
Infinitely wise Creator has not left the creature without a power of moving
the head a little in _Aerial crustaceous_ animals, and the very eyes also
in _crustaceous_ Sea-animals; so that by these means they are inabled to
direct some optick line or other against any object, and by that means they
have the visive faculty as compleat as any Animal that can move its eyes.

Distances of Objects also, 'tis very likely they distinguish, partly by the
consonant impressions made in some two convenient Pearls, one in each
cluster; for, according as those congruous impressions affect, two Pearls
neerer approach'd to each other, the neerer is the Object, and the farther
they are distant, the more distant is the Object: partly also by the
alteration of each Pearl, requisite to make the Sensation or Picture
perfect; for 'tis impossible that the Pictures of two Objects, variously
distant, can be perfectly painted, or made on the same _Retina_ or bottom
of the eye not altered, as will be very evident to any one that shall
attentively consider the nature of refraction. Now, whether this alteration
may be in the Figure of the _Cornea_, in the motion of access or recess of
the _Retina_ towards the _Cornea_, or in the alteration of a crustaline
humour, if such there be, I pretend not to determine; though I think we
need not doubt, but that there may be as much curiosity of contrivance and
structure in every one of these Pearls, as in the eye of a Whale or
Elephant, and the almighty's _Fiat_ could as easily cause the existence of
the one as the other; and as one day and a thousand years are the same with
him, so may one eye and ten thousand.

This we may be sure of, that the filaments or sensative parts of the
_Retina_ must be most exceedingly curious and minute, since the whole
Picture it self is such; what must needs the component parts be of that
_Retina_, which distinguishes the part of an object's Picture that must be
many millions of millions less then that in a man's eye? And how exceeding
curious and subtile must the component parts of the _medium_ that conveys
light be, when we find the instrument made for its reception or refraction
to be so exceedingly small? we may, I think, from this speculation be
sufficiently discouraged from hoping to discover by any optick or other
instrument the determinate bulk of the parts of the _medium_ that conveys
the pulse of light, since we find that there is not less accurateness shewn
in the Figure and polish of those exceedingly minute lenticular surfaces,
then in those more large and conspicuous surfaces of our own eyes. And yet
can I not doubt, but that there is a determinate bulk of those parts, since
I find them unable to enter between the parts of Mercury, which being in
motion, must necessarily have pores, as I shall elsewhere shew, and here
pass by, as being a digression.

As concerning the horns FF, the feelers or smellers, GG, the _Probascis_
HH, and I, the hairs and brisles, KK, I shall indeavour to describe in the
42. _Observation_.

* * * * *


Observ. XL. _Of the Teeth of a _Snail_._

I have little more to add of the Teeth of a Snail, besides the Picture of
it, which is represented in the first _Figure_ of the 25. _Scheme_, save
that his bended body, ABCDEF, which seem'd fashioned very much like a row
of small teeth, orderly plac'd in the Gums, and looks as if it were divided
into several smaller and greater black teeth, was nothing but one small
bended hard bone, which was plac'd in the upper jaw of the mouth of a
House-Snail, with which I observ'd this very Snail to feed on the leaves of
a Rose-tree, and to bite out pretty large and half round bits, not unlike
the Figure of a (C) nor very much differing from it in bigness, the upper
part ABCD of this bone, I found to be much whiter, and to grow out of the
upper chap of the Snail, GGG, and not to be any thing neer so much creas'd
as the lower and blacker part of it HIIHKKH which was exactly shap'd like
teeth, the bone growing thinner, or tapering to an edge towards KKK. It
seem'd to have nine teeth, or prominent parts IK, IK, IF, &c. which were
join'd together by the thinner interpos'd parts of the bone. The Animal to
which these teeth belong, is a very _anomalous_ creature, and seems of a
kind quite distinct from any other terrestrial Animal or Insect, the
Anatomy whereof exceedingly differing from what has been hitherto given of
it I should have inserted, but that it will be more proper in another
place. I have never met with any kind of Animal whose teeth are all join'd
in one, save onely that I lately observ'd, that all the teeth of a
Rhinocerot, which grow on either side of its mouth, are join'd into one
large bone, the weight of one of which I found to be neer eleven pound
_Haverdupois_. So that it seems one of the biggest sort of terrestrial
Animals, as well as one of the smallest, has his teeth thus shap'd.

* * * * *


Observ. XLI. _Of the Eggs of _Silk-worms_, and other Insects._

The Eggs of Silk-worms (one of which I have describ'd in the second
_Figure_ of 25. _Scheme_) afford a pretty Object for a _Microscope_ that
magnifies very much, especially if it be bright weather, and the light of a
window be cast or collected on it by a deep _Convex-glass_, or Water-ball.
For then the whole surface of the Shell may be perceiv'd all cover'd over
with exceeding small pits or cavities with interposed edges, almost in the
manner of the surface of a Poppy-seed, but that these holes are not an
hundredth part scarce of their bigness; the Shell, when the young ones were
hatch'd (which I found an easie thing to do, if the Eggs were kept in a
warm place) appear'd no thicker in proportion to its bulk, then that of an
Hen's or Goos's Egg is to its bulk, and all the Shell appear'd very white
(which seem'd to proceed from its transparency) whence all those pittings
did almost vanish, so that they could not, without much difficulty, be
discern'd, the inside of the Shell seem'd to be lin'd also with a kind of
thin film, not unlike (keeping the proportion to its Shell) that with which
the shell of an Hen-egg is lin'd; and the shell it self seem'd like common
Egg-shells; very brittle, and crack'd. In divers other of these Eggs I
could plainly enough, through the shell, perceive the small Insect lie
coyled round the edges of the shell. The shape of the Egg it self, the
Figure pretty well represents (though by default of the Graver it does not
appear so rounded, and lying above the Paper, as it were, as it ought to
do) that is, it was for the most part pretty oval end-ways, somewhat like
an Egg, but the other way it was a little flatted on two opposite sides.
Divers of these Eggs, as is common to most others, I found to be barren, or
addle, for they never afforded any young ones. And those I usually found
much whiter then the other that were prolifick. The Eggs of other kinds of
Oviparous Insects I have found to be perfectly round every way, like so
many Globules, of this sort I have observ'd some sorts of Spiders Eggs; and
chancing the last Summer to inclose a very large and curiously painted
Butterfly in a Box, intending to examine its gaudery with my _Microscope_,
I found within a day or two after I inclos'd her, almost all the inner
surface of the Box cover'd over with an infinite of exactly round Eggs,
which were stuck very fast to the sides of it, and in so exactly regular
and close an order, that made me call to mind my _Hypothesis_, which I had
formerly thought on for the making out of all the regular Figures of Salt,
which I have elsewhere hinted; for here I found all of them rang'd into a
most exact _triagonal_ order, much after the manner as the _Hemispheres_
are place on the eye of a Fly; all which Eggs I found after a little time
to be hatch'd, and out of them to come a multitude of small Worms, very
much resembling young Silk-worms, leaving all their thin hollow shells
behind them, sticking on the Box in their _triagonal_ posture; these I
found with the _Microscope_ to have much such a substance as the Silk-worms
Eggs, but could not perceive them pitted. And indeed, there is as great a
variety in the shape of the Eggs of Oviparous Insects as among those of
Birds.

Of these Eggs, a large and lusty Fly will at one time lay neer four or five
hundred, so that the increase of these kind of Insects must needs be very
prodigious, were they not prey'd on by multitudes of Birds, and destroy'd
by Frosts and Rains; and hence 'tis those hotter Climates between the
_Tropicks_ are infested with such multitudes of Locusts, and such other
Vermine.

* * * * *


Observ. XLII. _Of a blue _Fly_._

This kind of Fly, whereof a _Microscopical_ Picture is delineated in the
first _Figure_ of the 26. _Scheme_, is a very beautifull creature, and has
many things about it very notable; divers of which I have already partly
describ'd, namely, the feet, wings, eyes, and head, in the preceding
Observations.

And though the head before describ'd be that of a grey _Drone-Fly_, yet for
the main it is very agreeable to this. The things wherein they differ most,
will be easily enough found by the following particulars:

First, the clusters of eyes of this Fly, are very much smaller then those
of the _Dron-Fly_, in proportion to the head.

And next, all the eyes of each cluster seem'd much of the same bigness one
with another, not differing as the other, but rang'd in the same
_triagonal_ order.

Thirdly, between these two clusters, there was a scaly prominent _front_ B,
which was arm'd and adorn'd with large tapering sharp black brisles, which
growing out in rows on either side, were so bent toward each other neer the
top, as to make a kind of arched arbour of Brisles, which almost cover'd
the former _front_.

Fourthly, at the end of this Arch, about the middle of the face, on a
prominent part C, grew two small oblong bodies, DD, which through a
_Microscope_ look'd not unlike the Pendants in Lillies, these seem'd to be
jointed on to two small parts at C, each of which seem'd again jointed into
the front.

Fifthly, out of the upper part and outsides of these horns (as I may call
them, from the Figure they are of, in the 24. _Scheme_, where they are
marked with FF) there grows a single feather, or brushy Brisle, EE,
somewhat of the same kind with the tufts of a Gnat, which I have before
described.

What the use of these kind of horned and tufted bodies should be, I cannot
well imagine, unless they serve for smelling or hearing, though how they
are adapted for either, it seems very difficult to describe: they are in
almost every several kind of Flies of so various a shape; though certainly
they are some very essential part of the head, and have some very notable
office assign'd them by Nature, since in all Insects they are to be found
in one or other form.

Sixthly, at the under part of the face FF, were several of the former sort
of bended Brisles, and below all, the mouth, out of the middle of which,
grew the _proboscis_ GHI, which, by means of several joints, whereof it
seem'd to consist, the Fly was able to move to and fro, and thrust it in
and out as it pleas'd; the end of this hollow body (which was all over
cover'd with small short hairs or brisles) was, as 'twere, bent at H, and
the outer or formost side of the bended part HI, slit, as it were, into two
chaps, HI, HI, all the outside of which where cover'd with hairs, and
pretty large brisles; these he could, like two chaps, very readily open and
shut, and when he seem'd to suck any thing from the surface of a body, he
would spread abroad those chaps, and apply the hollow part of them very
close to it.

From either side of the _Proboscis_, within the mouth, grew two other small
horns, or fingers, KK, which were hairy, but small in this Figure; but of
another shape, and bigger in proportion, in the 24. _Scheme_, where they
are marked with GG, which two indeed seem'd a kind of smellers, but whether
so or not, I cannot positively determine.

The _Thorax_ or middle part of this Fly, was cas'd, both above and beneath,
with a very firm crust of armour, the upper part more round, and covered
over with long _conical_ brisles, all whose ends pointed backwards; out of
the hinder and under part of this grew out in a cluster six leggs, three of
which are apparent in the Figure, the other three were hid by the body
plac'd in that posture. The leggs were all much of the same make, being all
of them cover'd with a strong hairy scale or shel, just like the legs of a
Crabb or Lobster, and the contrivance of the joints seem'd much the same,
each legg seem'd made up of eight parts, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, to the
eighth or last of which, grew the soles and claws, described before in the
38. _Observation_.

Out of the upper part of this trunck grew the two wings, which I mention'd
in the 38. _Observation_, consisting of a film, extended on certain small
stiff wires or bones: these in a blue Fly, were much longer then the body,
but in other kind of Flies they are of very differing proportions to the
body. These films, in many Flies, were so thin, that, like several other
plated bodies (mention'd in the ninth _Observation_) they afforded all
varieties of fantastical or transient colours (the reason of which I have
here endeavoured to explain) they seem'd to receive their nourishment from
the stalks or wires, which seem'd to be hollow, and neer the upper part of
the wing LL several of them seem'd jointed, the shape of which will
sufficiently appear by the black lines in the second Figure of the 26.
_Scheme_, which is a delineation of one of those wings expanded directly to
the eyes.

All the hinder part of its body is cover'd with a most curious blue shining
armour, looking exactly like a polish'd piece of steel brought to that blue
colour by annealing, all which armour is very thick bestuck with abundance
of tapering brisles, such as grow on its back, as is visible enough by the
Figure.

Nor was the inside of this creature less beautifull then its outside, for
cutting off a part of the belly, and then viewing it, to see if I could
discover any Vessels, such as are to be found in a greater Animals, and
even in Snails exceeding manifestly, I found, much beyond my expectation,
that there were abundance of branchings of Milk-white vessels, no less
curious then the branchings of veins and arteries in bigger terrestrial
Animals, in one of which, I found two notable branches, joining their two
main stocks, as it were, into one common _ductus_; now, to what veins or
arteries these Vessells were _analogus_, whether to the _vena porta_, or
the _meseraick vessells_, or the like, or indeed, whether they were veins
and arteries, or _vasa lactea_, properly so called, I am not hitherto able
to determine, having not yet made sufficient enquiry; but in all
particulars, there seems not to be any thing less of curious contrivance in
these Insects, then in those larger terrestrial Animals, for I had never
seen any more curious branchings of Vessels, then those I observ'd in two
or three of these Flies thus opened.

It is a creature active and nimble, so as there are very few creatures like
it, whether bigger or smaller, in so much, that it will scape and avoid a
small body, though coming on it exceeding swiftly, and if it sees any thing
approaching it, which it fears, it presently squats down, as it were, that
it may be the more ready for its rise.

Nor is it less hardy in the Winter, then active in the Summer, induring all
the Frosts, and surviving till the next Summer, notwithstanding the bitter
cold of our Climate; nay, this creature will indure to be frozen, and yet
not be destroy'd, for I have taken one of them out of the Snow whereon it
has been frozen almost white, with the Ice about it, and yet by thawing it
gently by the warmth of a fire, it has quickly reviv'd and flown about.

This kind of Fly seems by the steams or taste of fermenting and putrifying
meat (which it often kisses, as 'twere, with its _proboscis_ as it trips
over it) to be stimulated or excited to eject its Eggs or Seed on it,
perhaps, from the same reason as Dogs, Cats, and many other brute creatures
are excited to their particular lusts, by the smell of their females, when
by Nature prepared for generation; the males seeming by those kind of
smells, or other incitations, to be as much necessitated thereto, as _Aqua
Regis_ strongly impregnated with a solution of Gold, is forced to
precipitate it by the affusion of spirit of _Urine_, or a solution of
_Salt_ of _Tartar_.

One of these put in spirit of _Wine_, was very quickly seemingly kill'd,
and both its eys and mouth began to look very red, but upon the taking of
it out, and suffering it to lie three or four hours, and heating it with
the Sun beams cast through a Burning-glass, it again reviv'd, seeming, as
it were, to have been all the intermediate time, but dead drunk, and after
certain hours to grow fresh again and sober.

* * * * *


Observ. XLIII. _Of the _Water-Insect_ or _Gnat_._

This little creature, described in the first _Figure_ of the 27. _Scheme_,
was a small scaled or crusted Animal, which I have often observ'd to be
generated in Rain-water; I have also observ'd it both in Pond and
River-water. It is suppos'd by some, to deduce its first original from the
putrifaction of Rain-water, in which, if it have stood any time open to the
air, you shall seldom miss, all the Summer long, of store of them frisking
too and fro.

'Tis a creature, wholly differing in shape from any I ever observ'd; nor is
its motion less strange: It has a very large head, in proportion to its
body, all covered with a shell, like other _testaceous_ Animals, but it
differs in this, that it has, up and down several parts of it, several
tufts of hairs, or brisles, plac'd in the order express'd in the Figure; It
has two horns, which seem'd almost like the horns of an Oxe, inverted, and,
as neer as I could guess, were hollow, with tufts of brisles, likewise at
the top; these horns they could move easily this or that way, and might,
perchance, be their nostrils. It has a pretty large mouth, which seem'd
contriv'd much like those of Crabs and Lobsters, by which, I have often
observ'd them to feed on water, or some imperceptible nutritive substance
in it.

I could perceive, through the transparent shell, while the Animal surviv'd,
several motions in the head, thorax, and belly, very distinctly, of
differing kinds which I may, perhaps, elsewhere endeavour more accurately
to examine, and to shew of how great benefit the use of a _Microscope_ may
be for the discovery of Nature's course in the operations perform'd in
Animal bodies, by which we have the opportunity of observing her through
these delicate and pellucid teguments of the bodies of Insects acting
according to her usual course and way, undisturbed, whereas, when we
endeavour to pry into her secrets by breaking open the doors upon her, and
dissecting and mangling creatures whil'st there is life yet within them, we
find her indeed at work, but put into such disorder by the violence
offer'd, as it may easily be imagin'd, how differing a thing we should
find, if we could, as we can with a _Microscope_ in these smaller
creatures, quietly peep in at the windows, without frighting her out of her
usual byas.

The form of the whole creature, as it appear'd in the _Microscope_, may,
without troubling you with more descriptions, be plainly enough perceiv'd
by the _Scheme_, the hinder part or belly consisting of eight several
jointed parts, namely, ABCDEFGH, of the first _Figure_, from the midst of
each of which, on either side issued out three or four small brisles or
hairs, I, I, I, I, I, the tail was divided into two parts of very differing
make; one of them, namely, K, having many tufts of hair or brisles, which
seem'd to serve both for the finns and tail, for the Oars and Ruder of this
little creature, wherewith it was able, by frisking and bending its body
nimbly to and fro, to move himself any whither, and to skull and steer
himself as he pleas'd, the other part, L, seem'd to be, as 'twere, the
ninth division of his belly, and had many single brisles on either side.
From the end V, of which, through the whole belly, there was a kind of Gut
of a darker colour, MMM, wherein, by certain _Peristaltick_ motions there
was a kind of black substance mov'd upwards and downwards through it from
the orbicular part of it, N, (which seem'd the _Ventricle_, or stomach) to
the tail V, and so back again, which _peristaltick_ motion I have observ'd
also in a Louse, a Gnat, and several other kinds of transparent body'd
Flies. The _Thorax_ or chest of this creature OOOO, was thick and short,
and pretty transparent, for through it I could see the white heart (which
is the colour also of the bloud in these, and most other Insects) to beat,
and several other kind of motions. It was bestuck and adorn'd up and down
with several tufts of brisles, such as are pointed out by P, P, P, P, the
head Q was likewise bestuck with several of those tufts, SSS; it was broad
and short, had two black eyes, TT, which I could not perceive at all
pearl'd, as they afterwards appear'd, and two small horns, RR, such as I
formerly describ'd.

Both its motion and rest is very strange, and pleasant, and differing from
those of most other creatures I have observ'd; for, where it ceases from
moving its body, the tail of it seeming much lighter then the rest of its
body, and a little lighter then the water it swims in, presently boys it up
to the top of the water, where it hangs suspended with the head always
downward; and like our _Antipodes_, if they do by a frisk get below that
superficies, they presently ascend again unto it, if they cease moving,
until they tread, as it were, under that superficies with their tails; the
hanging of these in this posture, put me in mind of a certain creature I
have seen in _London_, that was brought out of _America_, which would very
firmly suspend it self by the tail, with the head downwards, and was said
to keep in that posture, with her young ones in her false belly, which is a
Purse, provided by Nature for the production, nutrition, and preservation
of her young ones, which is described by _Piso_ in the 24. Chapter of the
fifth Book of his Natural History of _Brasil_.

The motion of it was with the tail forwards, drawing its self backwards, by
the striking to and fro of that tuft which grew out of one of the stumps of
its tail. It had another motion, which was more sutable to that of other
creatures, and that is, with the head forward; for by the moving of his
chaps (if I may so call the parts of his mouth) it was able to move it self
downwards very gently towards the bottom, and did, as 'twere, eat up its
way through the water.

But that which was most observable in this creature, was, its Metamorphosis
or change; for having kept several of these Animals in a Glass of
Rain-water, in which they were produc'd, I found, after about a fortnight
or three weeks keeping, that several of them flew away in Gnats, leaving
their husks behind them in the water floating under the surface, the place
where these Animals were wont to reside, whil'st they were inhabitants of
the water: this made me more diligently to watch them, to see if I could
find them at the time of their transformation; and not long after, I
observ'd several of them to be changed into an unusual shape, wholly
differing from that they were of before, their head and body being grown
much bigger and deeper, but not broader, and their belly, or hinder part
smaller, and coyl'd, about this great body much of the fashion represented
by the prick'd line in the second _Figure_ of the 27. _Scheme_, the head
and horns now swam uppermost, and the whole bulk of the body seem'd to be
grown much lighter; for when by my frighting of it, it would by frisking
out of its tail (in the manner express'd in the Figure by BC) sink it self
below the surface towards the bottom; the body would more swiftly
re-ascend, then when it was in its former shape.

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