Читать книгу A Text-book of Entomology онлайн

205 страница из 232

Fig. 174.—Transverse section through the thorax of a locust (Stenobothrus): b1, leg; h, heart; ga, ventral cord; se, depressor,—he, elevator, of the wing (fl); b-r, lateral muscles which expand the thoracic walls;—lm, longitudinal muscles which contract them; shm, uhm, muscles to the legs; bg, apodemes.—After Graber.

Fig. 175.—Inner view of a portion of the left side of body of Libellula depressa, showing a part of the mechanism of flight, viz., some of the chitinous ridges at base of the upper wing, and some of the insertions of the tendons of muscles: A, line of section through the base of the upper wing, the wing being supposed to be directed backwards. C, upper portion of mechanism of the lower wing; b, lever extending between the pieces connected with the two wings.—After von Lendenfeld, from Sharp.

As may be seen in Fig. 173, the contractile section of several of the muscles of the wing (s5) is extraordinarily reduced, while its thread-like tendon is proportionately longer. This gradation being almost like that of the pipes of an organ in the length of the wing-muscles, as may so easily be observed in the large dragon-flies, plainly indicates that the strain of the individual muscles is quite different in strength, since, as the phenomenon of flight demands it, the different parts of the base of the wing become respectively relaxed in very dissimilar measure.