Imatges de pàgina
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BUT for others that move and act, and need food, it is a prodigious instinct and forefight the Creator hath imprinted on them, to lay up fufficient food in fummer for the winter's neceffities and occafions. And it is very pretty to see with what unwearied diligence all hands are at

two things obfervable in their fagacity in this matter : 1. That they are not driven by stress of weather to their retirement, but feein as naturally to betake themselves thereto, as other animals do to reft and fleep. For before the approach of cold weather, towards the end of fummer, we may fee fome kinds of them flocking together, in great numbers, within doors, as fwallows do a little before they leave us, as if they were making ready for their winter's rest. 2. That every fpecies betakes itself to a proper convenient receptacle; fome under the waters, to the bottom of ponds; fume under the earth, below the froft; fome under timber, ftone, &c. lying on the ground; fome into hollow trees, or under the bark, or in the wood; fome into warm and dry places; and fome into dry alone.

There are not many kinds that thus provide their food beforehand. The moft remarkable, are the ant and the bee; concerning the first of which, Origen hath this remark, viz. De folertia for• micarum, venturæ hyemi mature profpicientium, fibique invicem fub onere feffis fuccurrentium; quodque fruges arrofas condunt, 'ne rurfus enafcantur, fed per annum alimento fint, non ratiocina⚫tionem formicarum in caufa debemus credere, fed almam matrem 'naturam bruta quoque fic ornantem, ut etiam minimis addat fua 'quædam ingenia.' Orig. cont. Celf. 1. 4.

But as for wafps, hornets, bumble-bees, and other wild-bees, vefpæ-ichneumons, and divers others that carry in materials for nefts and food; this is only for the service of their generation, for hatching their eggs, and nourishing their young, not for fupplies in winter; for they all forfake their nefts towards winter; and retire to other quarters, living, I conceive, without food all that time.

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work for that purpose, all the warmer months. Of this the Holy Scripture itself gives us an inftance in the ant, calling that little animal exceeding wife,' Prov. xxx. 24. And the reason is, ver. 25. The ants are a people not ftrong, yet they prepare their meat in fum'mer.' And therefore Solomon fends the fluggard to this little contemptible creature, to learn wisdom, forefight, care, and diligence, Prov. vi. 6, 7, 8. Go to the ant, thou fluggard, confider her ways, and be wife: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat • in the summer, and gathereth her food in the • harvest.'

To this fcriptural example, give me leave to anticipate, and fubjoin an observation of the farther great wisdom of this little creature; and that is their unparalleled ropy, their tenderness, fagacity, and diligence, about their young .

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Hos vermiculos [formicarum ova vulgo vocatos] incredibili Eropynet cura formice educant, fummamque dant operam, ne vel tantillum, quod fpectet eorum vermiculorum educationem atque nutri⚫tionem, omittant: quem in finem fere femper eofdem ore circumpor⚫tant fecum, ne ulla eos lædat injuria. In mufeo meo nonnullas iftius 'generis formicas, vitro terra repleto, conclufas cum vermiculis iftis

adfervabam: ibi non fine jucunditate fpectabam, quo terra fieret in • fuperficie ficcior, eo profundius formicas cum fætibus fuis prorepere: 6 cum vero aquam adfunderem, vifu mirificum erat, quanto effectu, quanta folicitudine, quanta Erop omnem in eo collocarent operam,

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It is very diverting,. as well as admirable to fee; with what affection and care they carry about their young in their mouths, how they expofe themselves to the greatest dangers, rather than leave their young expofed or forfaken; how they remove them from place to place in their little hills, fometimes to this part, fometimes to that, for the benefit of convenient warmth, and proper moisture; and then again withdraw, and guard them against rain and cold. Now, that this great wifdom which the Scriptures attri

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ut foetus fuos ficciore et tuto loco reponerent. Sæpius vidi, cum aliquot diebus aqua caruiffent, atque cum affufo tantillo aque teram illum humectarem, e veftigio a formicis fœtus fuos eo loci fuiffe allatos, quos ibi diftincte confpiciebam moveri atque fugere • humorem. Multoties fui conatus, ut eos vermiculos ipfe educarem, at femper conatum fefellit eventus: neque ipfas fotmicarum nymphas alimenti jam non indigas unquam fine ipfis formicis potui potu artificiali excludere.' J. Swammerd. Epilog. ad Hift. Infect. p. 153.

Sir Edward King, who was very curious in examining the generation of ants, obferves their great care and diligence, 1. About their fperm, or true eggs, which is a fine white fubftance, like fugar, which they dilligently gather into a heap, when scattered, and on which they lie in multitudes, I fuppofe, by way of incubation. 2. I have obferved, faith he, in fummer, that in the morning they bring up thofe of their young, called ant eggs, towards the top of the bank; fo that you may, from 10 in the morning, until 5 or 6 in the afternoon, find them near the top-for the most part on the fouthfide the bank. But towards 7 or 8 at night, if it be cool, or likely to rain, you may dig a foot deep before you can find them. Phil. Tranf. N° 23. or Mr. Lowthorp's Abrigment volume 2. page 7, and 9.

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tribute unto, and is difcernible in this little animal, is owing only to the inftinct, or infufions of the great Confervator of the world, is evident, because either this wisdom, thought, and forecast, is an act of the animal itself, or of some other being that hath wisdom. But the animal being irrational, it is impoffible it can be its own act, but must be derived, or received from fome wife being. And who? What can that be, but the infinite Lord, confervator, and governor of the world!

VOL. II.

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CHAP.

CHAP. VI.

OF THE CARE OF INSECTS ABOUT THEIR YOUNG,

THE other notable inftinct I am to treat of, is the peculiar art and care of the infecttribe, about the prefervation of their fpecies. Here I might speak of many things, but I have occafionally mentioned divers of them before, under fome or other of the general heads, and therefore fhall fix only upon two things relating to their fpecial art and care about the production of their young, which have not been fo particularly spoken to as they deferve.

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• The doctrine of aequivocal generation, is at this day so suffici-· ently exploded by all learned philofophers, that I fhall not enter the difpute, but take it for granted, that all animals fpring from other parent-animals. If the reader hath any doubt about it, I refer him to Seigneur Redi de Gen. Infect. and Mr. Ray's Wifdom of God, &c. p. 344. See alfo before, book iv. chap. 15. ·

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