holes of proper dimenfions. The fecretion is an act too fubtle for our difcernment, except as we perceive it by the produce. But one thing anfwers to another: the fecretory glands to the quality and confiftence required in the fecreted fubftance; the bag to its reception. The outlets and orifices are conftructed, not merely for relieving the refervoirs of their burthen, but for manufacturing the contents into a form and texture, of great external ule, or rather indeed of future neceffity, to the life and functions of the infect.

II. BEES, under one character or other, have furnished every naturalift with a set of obfervations. I fhall, in this place, confine myself to one; and that is the relation which obtains between the wax and the honey. No perfon, who has infpected a bee-hive, can forbear remarking, how commodiously the honey is bestowed in the comb; and amongst other advantages, how effectually the fermentation of the honey is prevented by diftributing it into fmall cells. The fact is, that when the honey is feparated from the comb, and put into jars, it runs into fermentation, with a much less degree of heat than what takes place in a hive. This may be reckoned a nicety: but independently of any nicety in the matter,

2A 4

matter, I would afk, what could the bee do with the honey, if it had not the wax? how, at leaft, could it ftore it up for winter? The wax, therefore, answers a purpose with respect to the honey; and the honey conftitutes that purpose with respect to the wax. This is the relation between them. But the two fubftances, though, together, of the greatest use, and, without each other, of little, come from a different origin. The bee finds the honey, but makes the wax. The honey is lodged in the nectaria of flowers, and probably undergoes little alteration; is merely collected: whereas the wax is a ductile tenacious pafte, made out of a dry powder, not fimply by kneading it with a liquid, but by a digeftive procefs in the body of the bee. What account can be rendered of facts fo circumftanced, but that the animal, being intended to feed upon honey, was, by a peculiar external configu'ration, enabled to procure it? that, moreover, wanting the honey when it could not be procured at all, it was further endued with the no lefs ncceffary faculty of conftructing repofitories for its preservation? which faculty, it is evident, must depend, primarily, upon the capacity of providing fuitable materials. Two diftinct functions go to make up the

ability.

ability. First, the power in the bee, with refpect to wax, of loading the farina of flowers upon its thighs: microscopic obfervers speak of the spoon-shaped appendages, with which the thighs of bees are befet for this very purpose: but inafmuch as the art and will of the bee may be fuppofed to be concerned in this operation, there is, fecondly, that which doth not reft in art or will, a digeftive faculty which converts the loose powder into a stiff fubftance. This is a juft account of the honey and the honey comb: and this account, through every part, carries a creative intelligence along with it.

The fting also of the bee has this relation to the honey, that it is neceffary for the protection of a treasure which invites fo many robbers.

III. Our business is with mechanism. In the panorpa tribe of infects, there is a forceps in the tail of the male infect, with which he catches and holds the female. Are a pair of pincers more mechanical, than this provifion, in their ftructure? or is any ftructure more clear and certain in its design?

IV. St. Pierre tells us *, that in a fly with

*Vol. i. p. 342.

fix feet (I do not remember that he describes the fpecies) the pair next the head, and the pair next the tail, have brushes at their extremities, with which the fly dreffes, as there may be occafion, the anterior or the pofterior part of its body; but that the middle pair have no fuch brushes, the fituation of these legs not admitting of the brushes, if they were there, being converted to the fame. ufe. This is a very exact mechanical diftinction.

V. If the reader, looking to our distributions of science, wish to contemplate the chymistry, as well as the mechanifm of nature, the infect creation will afford him an example. I refer to the light in the tail of a glow-worm. Two points feem to be agreed upon by naturalifts concerning it firft, that it is phosphoric; fecondly, that its ufe is to attract the male infect. The only thing to be enquired after, is the fingularity, if any fuch there be, in the natural history of this animal, which should render a provifion of this kind more neceffary for it, than for other infects. That fingularity feems to be the difference, which fubfifts between the male and the female; which difference is greater than what we find in any

other

other fpecies of animal whatever. The glowworm is a female caterpillar; the male of which is a fly; lively, comparatively small, diffimilar to the female in appearance, probably alfo as diftinguifhed from her in habits, purfuits, and manners, as he is unlike in form and external conftitution. Here then is the adverfity of the cafe. The caterpillar cannot meet her companion in the air. The winged rover difdains the ground. They might never therefore be brought together, did not this radiant torch direct the volatile mate to his fedentary female.

In this example we also see the resources of art anticipated. One grand operation of chymistry is the making of phofphorus; and it was thought an ingenious device, to make phosphoric matches fupply the place of lighted tapers. Now this very thing is done in the body of the glow-worm. The phosphorus is not only made, but kindled; and cauf to emit a steady and genial beam, for the purpose which is here ftated, and which I believe to be the true one.

VI. Nor is the last the only instance that entomology affords, in which our difcoveries, or rather our projects, turn out to be imita