. Sketches of the natural history of Ceylon; with narratives and anecdotes illustrative of the habits and instincts of the mammalia, birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, &c. including a monograph of the elephant ... Zoology; Elephants. Cfap. I.] NYCTBEIBU. 21 known insect, and as its joints are so flexible as to yield in every direction (like wliat mechanics call a " ball and socket "), its motions are ex- ceedingly grotesque as it tum- bles through the fur of the bat. To enable it to attain its marvellous velocity, each foot is armed with two sharp hooks, with elastic opposable pad
. Sketches of the natural history of Ceylon; with narratives and anecdotes illustrative of the habits and instincts of the mammalia, birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, &c. including a monograph of the elephant ... Zoology; Elephants. Cfap. I.] NYCTBEIBU. 21 known insect, and as its joints are so flexible as to yield in every direction (like wliat mechanics call a " ball and socket "), its motions are ex- ceedingly grotesque as it tum- bles through the fur of the bat. To enable it to attain its marvellous velocity, each foot is armed with two sharp hooks, with elastic opposable pads, so that the hair can not only be rapidly seized and firmly held, but as quickly disengaged, as nyctehibia. the creature whirls away in its headlong career. The insects to which it bears the nearest aflSnity, are the Hippobosddw, or " spider flies," that infest birds and horses; but, unlike them, the Nycteribia is unable to fly. Its strangest peculiarity, and that which gave rise to the belief that it was headless, is its faculty when at rest of throwing back its head and pressing it close between its shoulders till the under side becomes uppermost, not a vestige of head being discernible where we would naturally look for it, and the whole seeming but a casual inequality on its back. On closer examination this apparent tubercle is found to have a leathery attachment like a flexible neck, and by a sudden jerk the little creature is enabled to project it forward into its normal position, when it is discovered to be furnished with a mouth, antennse, and four eyes, two on each side. The organisation of such an insect is a marvellous adaptation of physical form to special circumstances. As the nycteribia has to make its way through fur and c 3. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Tennent,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectelephants, booksubjectzoology, bookye
