HABITATIONS OF INSECTS. 481 



South Wales, which was formed by gUieing together 

 several leaves as large as a hand. To keep these leaves 

 in a proper position, thousands of ants united their 

 strength, and if driven away, the leaves spring back 

 with great violence \ 



The most profound philosopher, equally with the 

 most incurious of mortals, is struck with astonishment 

 on inspecting the interior of a bee-hive. He beholds a 

 city in miniature. He sees this city divided into regular 

 streets, these streets composed of houses constructed on 

 the most exact geometrical principles and the most sym- 

 metrical plan, some serving for store-houses for food, 

 others for the habitations of the citizens, and a few, much 

 more extensive than the rest, destined for the palaces of 

 the sovereign. He perceives that the substance of which 

 the whole city is built, is one which man, with all his 

 skill, is unable to fabricate ; and that the edifices in wliich 

 it is employed are such, as the most expert artist would 

 find himself incompetent to erect. And the whole is the 

 work of a society of insects ! " Qtiel ahime (he exclaims 

 with Bonnet) mix yeux du sage qihine ruche (V Abeilles ! 

 Qjielle sagesse j^^'ofojide se cache dans cet ahhne ! Qicel 

 philosophe osera lefojider!" Nor have its mysteries yet 

 been fathomed. Philosophers have in all ages devoted 

 their lives to the subject ; from Aristomachus of Soli in 

 Cilicia, who, we are told by Pliny, for fifty-eight years 

 attended solely to bees, and Philiscus the Thracian, who 

 spent his whole time in forests investigating their man- 

 ners, to Swammerdam, Reaumur, Ilunter, and Huber 

 •^ Hawkesworth's Cook's Voyayes, iii, 223. 



VOL. I. 2 I 



