Micrographia: Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries ThereuponHooke, Robert
History
Micrographia: Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon
Hooke, Robert
Magnifying glasses -- Early works to 1800; Microscopy -- Early works to 1800; Natural history -- Pre-Linnean works
And these vibrations or motions to and fro between
the two limits seem so swift, that ’tis very probable (from the sound it
affords, if it be compar’d with the vibration of a musical string, tun’d
unison to it) it makes many hundreds, if not some thousands of vibrations
in a second minute of time. And, if we may be allow’d to ghess by the
sound, the wing of a Bee is yet more swift, for the tone is much more
acute, and that, in all likelihood, proceeds from the exceeding swift
beating of the air by the small wing. And it seems the more likely too,
because the wing of a Bee is less in proportion to its body, then the other
wing to the body of a Fly; so that for ought I know, it may be one of the
quickest vibrating _spontaneous_ motions of any in the world; and though
perhaps there may be many Flies in other places that afford a yet more
shrill note with their wings, yet ’tis most probable that the quickest
vibrating _spontaneous_ motion is to be found in the wing of some creature.
Now, if we consider the exceeding quickness of these Animal spirits that
must cause these motions, we cannot chuse but admire the exceeding
vividness of the governing faculty or _Anima_ of the Insect, which is able
to dispose and regulate so the motive faculties, as to cause every
peculiar organ, not onely to move or act so quick, but to do it also so
regularly.
Whil’st I was examining and considering the curious _Mechanism_ of the
wings, I observ’d that under the wings of most kind of Flies, Bees, &c.
there were plac’d certain _pendulums_ or extended drops (as I may so call
them from their resembling motion and figure) for they much resembled a
long hanging drop of some transparent viscous liquor; and I observed them
constantly to move just before the wings of the Fly began to move, so that
at the first sight I could not but ghess, that there was some excellent
use, as to the regulation of the motion of the wing, and did phancy, that
it might be something like the handle of a Cock, which by vibrating to and
fro, might, as ’twere, open and shut the Cock, and thereby give a passage
to the determinate influences into the Muscles; afterwards, upon some other
trials, I suppos’d that they might be for some use in respiration, which
for many reasons I suppose those Animals to use, and, me thought, it was
not very improbable, but that they might have convenient passages under the
wings for the emitting, at least, of the air, if not admitting, as in the
gills of Fishes is most evident; or, perhaps, this _Pendulum_ might be
somewhat like the staff to a Pump, whereby these creatures might exercise
their _Analogous_ lungs, and not only draw in, but force out, the air they
live by: but these were but conjectures, and upon further examination
seem’d less probable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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