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CHAP. XIV.

OF THE SAGACITY OF INSECTS.

THAT man fhould difplay wisdom in his economy. is not furprifing. God hath endowed him with a rational foul, by the affiftance of which he thinks, judges, reafons, and is induced to conduct himfelt agreeably to the inductions which flow from his just principles but that animals deprived of the use of reason, and all infects, fhould exhibit fo much of it in their whole economy is what furpaffes our comprehenfion. I have already remarked a vaft number of inftances of this kind which authorize us to con-clude that infects act according to the rules of wif dom; but as the fubject is exceedingly interefting, I fhall collect in this Chapter, the principal proofs of their fagacity.

The fill of birds in conftructing their nefts is fo great, that the most ingenious artift could not exceed it. With what neatnefs do they not combine: pieces of wood, and straw, and mofs and clay together, in the formation of their nefts! What art is confpicuous in the arrangement and difpofition of each of the parts which compofe them? What precautions to defend them and their young from cold! The infide of the neft is always lined with hair,

with feathers, or wool, which are difpofed with such neatnefs, that every particle contributes to keep the neft warm, without in the leaft hurting the eggs or the young. That their nefts may not be expofed to view, they are generally built in fecret places; and the bird takes fo many precautions to conceal them, that it is with difficulty they are discovered. In general they all endeavour to fkreen them from danger, and from the injuries of the weather. Laftly, there are fome exotic birds that interweave the flender fibrous parts of plants with fo much dexterity, that they conftruct a round and hollow neft, which they afterwards fufpend from the fmall branches of trees, to put them out of the reach of their natural enemies.

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The fame fubtilty is obfervable among infects. They are small and weak; but they appear great and able labourers in the formation of their nefts. For this purpose they collect and ufe all forts of fubftanSome make fmall round cafes of earth, like the nests of fwallows, others form them very dextroufly of ftraw or grafs. Some roll up the leaves of plants, in order to lay their eggs in them, but with fo much art, that we cannot help being ftruck with aftonishment at it. They have various ways of rolling up the leaves, but they are all wonderful. Some ufe but one leaf, others feveral. Some roll the leaf from the point to the bafe, perpendicularly. to the principal nerve; or fideways parallel to that nerve. These laft take care to roll their leaf in fuch a manner that from one extremity to the other, each fold of the roll is parallel to the fide of the leaf, while others roll it up like a horn, with one of the ends fmaller than the other. Some only double the edge of the leaf longitudinally, making a fort of hollow hem; or if they flope much, the fold is unequal. When they roll up a part of the leaf, they

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fix the roll in the fhape they want it by means of different parcels of threads very artificially ranged and attached on one fide to the top of the roil, and on the other to the furface of the leaf on which it res. It is nearly the fame when they roll up whole leaves. Each circumvolution is connected with that which follows it, by threads difpofed like thofe in the former inftance.

There is likewife great variety in the methods ufed by thofe that live in fociety. They employ feveral leaves to ferve them for a common dwelling. Some make them round like a pear, obferving to make feveral holes for gates. Others join thefe leaves together, fo that externally they have the appearance of an inverted cone, or nearly fo. Among thofe that live folitary in a habitation compofed of feveral leaves; fome conftruct it of leaves feparately roiled up longitudinally, and placed contiguous to one another; others make a kind of tube formed of different leaves, wound up fpirally.

There are infects which though they do not roll up the leaves, yet contrive to make a habitation of them. Some take two which they fo clofely connect together with their threads, that the under one ferves them for a bed, the upper for a covering. They are fo firmly attached to each other, that neither wind nor any other ordinary accident can feparate them. Others grind the leaves and reduce them to powder, which they afterwards mix with a vifcid liquor if iuing out of their bodies; and of this mixture they frame their houfe. Seme, inftead of pulverifing the leaves, gnaw the wood, and ufe the comminuted particles in the fame way. Some, in order to polith and give a certain confiftence to their nefts, use the refin of trees and fhrubs; others form round their eggs a kind of tent with the threads they

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draw from their bodies. In general every different fpecies fhows great dexterity in collecting materials for nidification. To fee them carrying what they have felected for this purpose, one would fay that they had received leffons, and that fome ingenious mechanic had taught them the fimpleft and most convenient method of conveying thefe materials and using them.

The ftructure of different nefts is not lefs demonftrative of the addrefs of these infects, than the precautions they ufe in placing them indicates their forefight, I fhould compofe a large volume, were I to enter into a compleat detail upon this head. I muft therefore confine myfelf to a few examples of thofe which appear to me the most fingular, I fhall begin with the structure of the combs of Bees.

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Thefe infects begin their labours by fixing the comb to the firmeft part at the top of the hive, and continue it downwards, and on both fides and to attach it with the greater firmnefs, they fometimes employ a kind of wax or glue. It cannot be faid with accuracy, in what manner Bees perform this part of their work. They are in fuch numbers, and in fuch conftant motion, that to the eye, every thing appears confufion. The following circumftances are however obfervable. Thefe little creatures are feen carrying to the places where they are at work, little bits of wax which they hold in their claws. their arrival, they quit their burden, fix it to the work, and mould it with their feet, fometimes on one fide, and sometimes on the other. All this is performed in a very fhort time, after which they return to the fields, and are inceffantly fucceeded by others in fuch crowds, that the comb increafes rapidly. While fome labour in the conftruction of the cells, others are occupied only in faftening the work and giving it the due degree of confiftence. For this purpose

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they are perpetually going over it, beating it with their wings, and the hinder part of their body. Bees conftru&t their cells with geometrical exactness, in the following manner: They begin to form the bottom, which is compofed of three rhombs or lozenges. They first make one of thefe rhombs and then elevate two walls, on two fides of this first rhomb. To it they join a fecond rhomb with a certain inclination, as we fhall afterwards mention, and raise other two walls on two of its fides. Lastly they add a third rhomb, and raise two planes on its two exterior fides, which, with the four others, form a cell of an hexagonal figure. While one party of Bees is occupied in this work, another fet are employed in finishing it. They retouch the fides, the angles, and base of the cells with the most fcrupulous accuracy; they faften them, and work them fo thin, that three or four of the fides laid one on another, are not thicker than an ordinary leaf of paper. But as the entrance into these cells would be too weak if it were not thicker, they make a kind of rim to it, which ftrengthens the entrance. By this means the bees can come out, and go in easily, without injuring their cells, which are proportioned to the fize of the body of these industrious animals.

I have faid that the Bees occupied in conftructing the cells, only labour for a fhort time at once; but that is not to be understood of thofe who have the care of finishing them. They are employed for a long time, and never quit their work, but when they carry away the little particles of wax which have been rubbed off in the polifhing .This fubftance is not Joft there are other Bees ready to receive it, or 10 go in queft of it in the cells in which thofe employed in polifhing fometimes, for a moment, retire to depofite it; this fuperfluous wax is made use of cliewhere. There is a third order of bees which

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