water from top to bottom, or from bottom to top with prodigious velocity. The large Dytifcus has under his wings an aperture garnifhed with hairs in which he retains a quantity of air. When he is at the bottom, he holds himfelf there with his feet, for when he lofes his hold, the air brings him inftantly to the top. Some infects move with extreme flownefs, while others fwim with fuch velocity, that their members cannot be obferved. Some, when they reft, adhere to fuch folid bodies as they find, or fufpend themselves in the water; others walk on the furface of the water, or attach the cafes in which they live, to fome piece of wood in order to prevent their falling to the bottom. The limbs of all thefe infects are adapted to the motions they are destined to perform. Thofe which are obliged to move thro water, have an attenuated body which facilitates their progrefs in that element: others advance by means of their feet, or by a kind of fins made in the form of a plume of feathers. Although fome are furnished with feveral of thefe members, and one might think that if one were taken away there would stilk remain a fufficient number, yet their motion then appears evidently retarded, and they execute with dif ficulty, what before they performed with the greatest eafe. So true it is that the Creator has bestowed nothing fuperfluous, nor given them any thing but what is abfolutely neceffary.

We find on the earth certain infects which like ferpents have neither feet nor wings, and which yet move with ease. They go from one place to another with a ferpentine motion which is performed by the mufcles of their rings; thefe contract, and making. the infect fhorter, give it the power, by dilating thofe of the forepart of the body, to advance. Such a motion may be diftinctly feen in the common earthworm. Others bend themfelves, and advance by a

fpring,

fpring, as maggots do in cheefe. They draw their tail towards the head, and then fuddenly extending themselves, like a bow after the arrow is let flv, bound forward more than their own length. This motion which can be attributed only to the elafticity of their bodies is remarkable, and ferves them inftead of legs and mufcies, by means of which other infects leap.

Those with feet do not all move in the fame way. Some go forward in a ftraight line, and others bend their back; fuch are the caterpillars called Geometra. In general thefe have but two intermediate feet. When they go from one place to another, they extend their body as far as poffible, and take hold by their fix fore feet; then they draw up to these feet the pofterior part of the body, which is then bent like a bow. Fixing themselves then by their intermediate and pofterior feet, they extend themfelves anew, and thus make a step almost as long as their body. Their motion is like that of a perfon's hand, when he is meafuring any thing by a fpan. Some infects move fideways like the fmall winged infects that infeft horfes. Others turn round in a circle, and others move only by leaps for which they are fitted, by having long legs and mufcular thighs. Some march with inconceivable velocity. M. Delifle obferved a fly almoft invifible from its minutenefs, which run. over three inches fpace in half a fecond, making in that time five hundred and forty fteps. Other infects move exceeding flowly. Many of thofe whofe bodies are long help themfelves by means of their hinder part, which they fold under them, and then make ufe of it to push themfeives forward. Some extend themselves at full length when they go to reft, and others are rolled up in the manner of ferpents when they fleep.

As there are infects which are obliged to seek their food in different places, and fometimes at a distance, God hath wifely provided them with wings to faci litate their frequent excurfions; but that they might be able to maintain their bodies in a perfect equilibrium, the Creator has given to fome four wings, to others little balancers, (halteres.) Thefe are little balls placed under the pofterior part of the wings on both fides, and are connected with the body by very fender filaments, which enable the infect to move them when it has occafion. In fome they are naked, in others covered. They aniwer the fame end to infects, as the pole does to rope dancers. If one of these balls is cut off, the infect inclines to one fide; it both are taken away, it no longer has that light and equal motion it had before, it cannot direct its flight, but turns topfy turvy. Moft infects wanting the tail of feathers which birds have, do not take fo equal a flight, nor preferve fo juft an equilibrium in an element fo fubtile and fo yielding. There is a fpecies of Butterfly which is excepted from this general rule. It is furnished with a tail by means of which it directs its flight at pleafure. There is even a difference in the flight of the male and female, that of the former being moft rapid. The reafon of this no doubt is, that the females being laden with eggs, are heavier than the males, and confequently their flight is not only flower, but fhorter. Might not nature mean by this to teach us, that it is the duty of women not to wander far from home. A difference of velocity in their flight is perceived alfo in the different fpecies. Laftly fome mount aloft into the air, while others continually hover near the furface of the earth.

Thefe motions of infects cannot but elevate our thoughts towards the Creator. The faculty of motion is not an effential property of the matter they are compofed of. We fee evidently that a body pure

ly

ly material cannot put itself in motion, nor can quit. its place without being impelled by fome other body. But infects move hither and thither in a thoufand various ways. Whence do they derive this faculty? They do not receive it furely from their body, which being purely material, has not the power of motion of itself. But it will be faid it is the foul of thefe infects which is the caufe of their motions. Be it fo; but I ask is that foul material or immaterial? If the materiality of the foul is maintained, the fame difficulty will recur, and I fhall then afk how comes this material foul to have the power of moving itfelf, while every other fort of matter remains at reft, except when put in motion by fome other body? Who hath beltowed on it a property fo different from any we fee inherent in other matter? If it is faid. that this foul is immaterial like that of a man, fhall we be nearer our purpose? I think not, till it is explained to me how a fubftance purely fpiritual, can act on matter, and put it in motion. This difficulty is as great as the former, and neither of them can be folved without having recourfe to a first mover whofe power is unbounded. Of this he hath given deci five evidence by endowing animals with the faculty of motion. This proof of his power is fo great that we cannot comprehend it,

He hath not only given to the motion of animals its first impulfe; but he ftill continues to preferve to them the daily ufe of it. This truth was one of those which St Paul remarked to the philofophers of Athens, when he announced to them the Gospel. "In God we live, fays he, and move and have our being." ACTS xvi. 28. We fee alfo that when fpeaking by the mouths of his Prophets, God exhibits himfelf as author of the motion of the Sea. 66 I

am the Lord thy God, which divideth the fea,

"when

when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of hofts "is his name." ISAIAH LI. 15.

The first impulfe of motion in created beings and its prefervation is not the only thing remarkable on this head; there is another which deferves our most ferious attention. Every thing in nature is in motion. Some of the bodies which compofe the univerfe, have a conftant motion from which they never depart, while that of others is arbitrary and varied. How comes it that fo many different motions all oppofite to one another, do not derange the economy of the univerfe? The most simple and bet conftructed clock-work often goes wrong, and lafts but for a fhort time. But the univerfe has endured for ages without the smallest change. And what wide difference is there not between a piece of clock-work, I will not fay the moft fimple, but the most complicated, and the machine of the univerfe! From whom flows a regularity fo wonderful? What caufe preferves in fo perfect an equilibrium fo many contrary forces which would feem mutually to counteract and deftroy each other? It is God alone, whose power is unbounded, and whofe wifdom is unfearchable. He prefides over all thofe various motions; he preferves and directs them, and prevents them from interfering to their mutual deftruction.

confide

How many motives do not thefe rations furnith us with for adoring and magnify ing the Creator! He is the author and preferver of this perpetual and univerfal motion, without which we could not exift. What gratitude does not fuch goodness deferve? Let us reflect with attention on the advantages, and on the infinite pleasures which refult from thofe motions which God hath communicated to animals; let us for this purpose fuppofe that we were totally deprived of them and

we