eighth day.] TRANSFORMATION OF INSECTS. 219 



hill, its flowers were covered with varieties of bees, 

 and some wasps, all busy in feeding on its sweets. I 

 never saw a more animated scene of insect enjoyment. 

 The bees were most of them humble bees, some new 

 to me, and the wasps appeared different from any 1 

 have seen before. 



HAL. — I believe tins is one of the last autumnal 

 flowers that insects of this kind haunt. In sunnv 

 days it is their constant point of resort, and it would 

 afford a good opportunity to the entomologist to make 

 a collection of British bees. 



POIET. — I neither hear the hum of the bee, nor 

 can I see any on its flowers. They are now deserted. 



PHYS. — Since the sun has disappeared, the cool of 

 the evening has, I suppose, driven the little winged 

 plunderers to their homes. But see, there are two or 

 three humble bees which seem languid with the cold, 

 and yet they have their tongues still in the fountain 

 of honey ; I believe one of them is actually dead, yet 

 his mouth is still attached to the flower. He has 

 fallen asleep, and probably died wliilst making his 

 last meal of ambrosia. 



ORN. — What an enviable destiny, quitting life in 

 the moment of enjoyment, following an instinct, the 

 gratification of which has been always pleasurable ! so 

 beneficent are all the laws of Divine Wisdom. 



PHYS. — Like Ornither, I consider the destiny of 



