Now, that the Fly is able to walk on Glass, proceeds partly from some
ruggedness of the surface: and chiefly from a kind of tarnish, or dirty
smoaky substance, which adheres to the surface of that very hard body; and
though the pointed parts cannot penetrate the substance of Glass, yet may
they find pores enough in the tarnish, or at least make them.
This Structure I somewhat the more diligently survey'd, because I could not
well comprehend, how, if there were such a glutinous matter in those
supposed Sponges, as most (that have observ'd that Object in a
_Microscope_) have hitherto believ'd, how, I say, the Fly could so readily
unglew and loosen its feet: and, because I have not found any other
creature to have a contrivance any ways like it, and chiefly, that we might
not be cast upon unintelligible explications of the _Phaenomena_ of Nature,
at least others then the true ones, where our senses were able to furnish
us with an intelligible, rationall and true one.
Somewhat a like contrivance to this of Flies shall we find in most other
Animals, such as all kinds of Flies and case-wing'd creatures; nay, in a
Flea, an Animal abundantly smaller then this Fly. Other creatures, as
Mites, the Land-Crab, &c. have onely one small very sharp Tallon at the end
of each of their legs, which all drawing towards the center or middle of
their body, inable these exceeding light bodies to suspend and fasten
themselves to almost any surface.
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