LETTER XXI. 



MEANS BY WHICH INSECTS DEFEND 

 THEMSELVES. 



When a country is particularly open to attack, or 

 surrounded by numerous enemies, who from cupidity or 

 hostile feelings are disposed to annoy it, we are usually 

 led to inquire what are its means of defence ? whether 

 natural, or arising from the number, courage, or skill of 

 its inhabitants. The insect tribes constitute such a na- 

 tion : with them infinite hosts of enemies wage continual 

 war, many of whom derive the whole of their subsist- 

 ence from them: and amongst their own tribes there are 

 numerous civil broils, the strong often preying upon the 

 weak, and the cunning upon the simple : so that unless 

 a watchful Providence (which cares for all its creatures, 

 even the most insignificant,) had supplied them with 

 some mode of resistance or escape, this innumerable 

 race must soon be extirpated. That such is the case, it 

 shall be my endeavour in this letter to prove ; in which 

 I shall detail to you some of the most remarkable means 

 of defence with which they are provided. For the sake 

 of distinctness I shall consider these under two separate 

 heads, into which indeed they naturally divide them- 

 selves: — Passive means of defence, such as are indepen- 

 dent of any efforts of the insect; and active means of 

 defence, such as result from certain efforts of the insect 

 in the employment of those instincts and instruments with 

 which Providence has furnished it for this purpose. 



