em, and, by that means, serve the
Animal as well, if not better, then if they were little films. I say, if
not better, because I have observ'd that all those creatures, that have
film'd wings, move them aboundantly quicker and more strongly, such as all
kind of Flies and _Scarabees_ and Batts, then such as have their wings
covered with feathers, as Butter-flies and Birds, or twiggs, as Moths,
which have each of them a much slower motion of their wings; That little
ruggedness perhaps of their wings helping them somewhat, by taking better
hold of the parts of the Air, or not suffering them so easily to pass by,
any other way then one.

But what ever be the reason of it, 'tis most evident, that the smooth
wing'd Insects, have the strongest Muscles or movent parts of their wings,
and the other much weaker; and this very Insect, we are now describing, had
a very small _thorax_ or middle part of his body, if compar'd to the length
and number of his wings; which therefore, as he mov'd them very slowly, so
must he move them very weakly. And this last propriety do we find somewhat
observ'd also in bigger kind of Flying creatures, Birds; so that we see
that the Wisdom and Providence of the All-wise Creator, is not less shewn
in these small despicable creatures, Flies and Moths, which we have branded
with a name of ignominy, calling them Vermine, then in those greater and
more remakable animate bodies, Birds.

I cannot here stand to add any thing about the nature of flying, though,
perhaps, on another occasion, I may say something on that subject, it being
such as may deserve a much more accurate examination and scrutiny then it
has hitherto met with; For to me there seems nothing wanting to make a man
able to fly, but what may be easily enough supply'd from the Mechanicks
hitherto known, save onely the want of strength, which the Muscles of a man
seem utterly uncapable of, by reason of their smalness and texture, but how
even strength also may be mechanically made, and an artificial Muscle so
contriv d, that thereby a man shall be able to exert what strength he
pleases, and to regulate it also to his own mind, I may elsewhere endeavour
to manifest.

* * * * *

Observ. XLVII. _Of the _Shepherd Spider_, or long legg'd _Spider_._

The Carter, Shepherd Spider, or long-legg'd Spider, has, for two
particularities, very few similar creatures that I have met with, the
first, which is discoverable onel