418 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Dec. 



down the root, bark or trunks of stately forest trees. All sorts 

 of food is devoured by them in all sorts of ways. There are 

 honey sippers, blood suckers, cabbage eaters, insect cannibals, and 

 even, we regret to say, men eaters ! 



Insects too, have all sorts of odd ways for getting on in the 

 world. There are creepers, runners, jumpers, fliers, swimmers 

 and divers. Some take it into their heads to walk heels upwards ; 

 while others, with as strange a fancy, swim head downwards in 

 the water. Very queer, too, are the occupations and habits of 

 these strange little creatures. Some, like hermits, live alone in 

 the wilderness ; while others form themselves into well ordered 

 communities, having a queen, government, soldiery and laws. 



And what fantastic shapes do they assume ! what a variety of 

 dresses do they wear ! Beasts, fishes, birds, reptiles, and even 

 plants, have all their mimic representatives in the insect world. 

 There are black insects, and white ; blue insects, and grey; insects 

 with smooth skins, hairy skins, homy skins, and feathery skins. 

 Some strut about in a bright coat of armour, and others are 

 decked from " top to toe " with sparkling gems, more brilliant and 

 dazzling than those of an eastern prince. Some few there are 

 that encircle themselves with a beautiful halo of light, moving 

 about like fairy sprites, in the darkness of night. 



All sorts of trades and occupations are likewise pursued by 

 these busy little mortals. There are carpenters, builders, miners, 

 stone-masons, paper-makers, silk-weavers, sugar-refiners, uphols- 

 terers, net-makers, fishermen, scavengers, nurses, and even slave- 

 holders ! with a few tribes of lazy epicures, who seem to think 

 (like some of their human brethren) that life was given only for 

 eating, drinking, sleeping and enjoyment. Without insects we 

 should neither have honey nor wax, scarlet dye nor lac. The 

 poor silk- weaver would have to look out for another occupation, 

 and queens, princesses, and aristocratic ladies, would be obliged 

 to doff their shining robes and satisfy themselves with dresses of 

 cotton, linen and wool. Fevers and other fearful diseases would 

 make their appearances in many places for lack of the same useful 

 tribe of busy little scavengers, and the doctor would shake his 

 head sorrowfully for want of some potent remedy which some 

 insects supply. In short, the world could not wag on as comfortably 

 as it does, if even a single tribe of these much despised creatures 

 were wanting. And no wonder, for the great Architect has 

 made no useless thing amid the million curiosities of earth, 



