Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, May, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900Various
Science
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, May, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
If the insect is allowed to become dry, by resting it upon a piece of
blotting paper, and is then placed upon a piece of glass and a drop of
clear saliva be allowed to fall upon it, it proceeds to fill up this
fluid with bubbles in precisely the same manner as it did with its own
watery secretion. It is quite difficult to divest the creature of the
bubbles of air which adhere to the spaces between the legs and the
segments on the underside of the body. It may be readily done, however,
by immersing it in clear water and manipulating it with a brush. If now
it is again dried and placed on the glass it will slowly secrete what
spare fluid it has in its body, but not the minutest bubble of air is
seen to escape. These experiments should be made on glass, for then
one may get transmitted light, and the highly refractive outlines of
the air bubbles are more quickly detected. Using a higher power with a
live cell, new features may be observed. Confining the insect in this
way, inclosed in a drop of water, a very clear proof is offered that
it gets all the air for its froth in the way I have described. So long
as the insect remains surrounded by water not the minutest bubble of
air is seen to escape from the body. During this immersion the creature
is incessantly struggling to reach the edge of the drop, and no sooner
has this been accomplished than it thrusts out its tail and begins
the clutching of air and the making of bubbles. The bubbles, however,
disappear as soon as made, as the clear water will not preserve them.
As the water becomes slightly viscid from the insect’s own secretions,
the bubbles remain for a longer time. A bubble will be partially
released and then held, or even partially withdrawn, between the
claspers.
[Illustration: FIG. 5.--Showing underside of posterior extremity of
body with appearance of branchiæ.]
[Illustration: FIG. 6.--A single branchia under slight pressure.]
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