1-154-957 - Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images

Grey drone-fly, observation XXXIX from Hooke's Micrographia, 1664. Micrographica contains prints of some of the specimens Hooke viewed under the compound microscope that he designed. He chose the grey drone-fly because it had the greatest clusters of eyes in proportion to its head. He was one of the founder members of the Royal Society, at which he held the post of 'Curator of Experiments'.