Insect Architecture. 41 



case the destruction of a noxious animal ; or in the others, 

 the supply of the table with game or fish. The noxious ani- 

 mal, as every one knows, might be destroyed far more readily 

 and effectually, and the game and fish procured at much less 

 expense of time and labour, by other means. Any one pos- 

 sessed of right sentiments on the subject, would rather be 

 inclined to refer us to the exhilarating pleasures of the chase 

 (man being by nature a sporting* animal), the manly and 

 wholesome exercise, the display of skill and ingenuity requi- 

 site to insure success, the beautiful and varied scenes of 

 nature to which the followers of field sports are necessarily 

 introduced, &c. In like manner may natural history, over 

 and above the consideration of its direct and palpable utility, 

 be recommended purely on the ground of its being a continual 

 source of rational amusement, a delightful exercise of the 

 mind, an innocent — we had almost said a p/ow5—- recreation : 

 for nothing can be more true than the maxim so often 

 quoted, that " the contemplation of Nature raises the mind 

 up to Nature's God." All the works of the Creator are 

 worthy of being " sought out " by his rational creatures ; 

 we make no doubt they were designed to be so, and designed 

 moreover to afford us both useful and agreeable instruction. 

 Solomon sends us to the ant to learn wisdom f ; an inspired 

 })rophet refers to " the stork and the swallow," as knowing 

 their " appointed times," and " the time of their coming," J 

 Our Saviour himself directs our attention to the fowls of the 

 air and the lilies of the field, in order to inculcate an impor- 

 tant moral lesson § ; and St. Paul refutes the philosophical 

 gainsayers,) and-illustrates the possibility of a resurrection from 

 thei iclea(/^, byuj[in)iai,^uj(«)enfe< )dra,w-U' :&')Qnji the ordinary process 

 of vdgisibat^m/llr e; A^d. yagain- .(^ItopgH }f^^ hfe^e aio //scriptural 

 authbnifcy fot^ iSO) applying* jto/ subj^tj^f'who vthafc fw«,t€hes the 

 catb»J>illar. pafe«ing;iliat©-thd id6sttWilgQ'«on(Jit:iiQr>/of '§ir -chrysalis, 

 andHthence-igBnisgfifortH- Sf^ buiUiailti rbjjlt!^rflyi>^f0®f' faitl to be 

 str-iifedis ^ VvitJi X the ' jobviQiftst ftn(| beautifu} aaaJalbgyl b^t^peto the 

 diffflpontiiiates u- of, An^ct .]i^ t'and, tite, pj'^aetiit ,»ji^ .fujtUre pon- 

 difeiowfofriblil-iQjwii.existeiicsvJ ;1'p a. t&^ightfuil ^i^d, indeed, 

 alliuatijurdiftboMaiid^iiwitlt obje(;tSi;whiG»hr mnf ba. fcijrpy^jto ad- 

 va^ltage'4 ;*.an4 (He, whjt)- ^wiil /but beiflfettfeQipsiiflS Iftiti^^^t a 

 littiJ3iQtt^M'J^it>liei!^$eS around him, m^yv]qi|;i^. ^y^^^^ tj-nA 



tiid // • *< ^rt<l 'i^nguefi^ in tt-ees, books in «h^ •K>?^:;<)edabs|)^j lUJ ! > i 



:3 // ;i I n J i I y t^ejtpoiM in stonesj 'and good w evet*y tfupg/n \ , i 7) ^^x. 



J' t o ; jj i i w 6\ Ji i\. —7- — f ii • , • '. — I — ""{' ' S'm'jv/ ^hnhn ■ ' 



* QiioiVTiKQQ. ArivStotle. \ Prov. vi. 6. 



% Jer. viii. 7. § Matt. vi. 26. 28. |1 1 Cor. xv. 36. &c. 



4- " fn'a w;6>'«/ view I shall noft, 1 believe, be contradicted when I say, 

 that, if one train of thinking be more desirable than another, it is that which 



