254- STUDIES OF NATURE» 



In the iflands of the regions fituated between 

 the Tropics, and along the banks of the great ri- 

 vers of America, the greateft part of maritime and 

 fluviatic trees, among others, many fpecies of the 

 palm-tree, bear fruits enclofed in very hard (hells, 

 whereby they are enabled to float on the face of 

 the waters, which re-fow them at a great diftance; 

 but their covering does not fecure them from the 

 attack of the birds. The different tribes of pan> 

 quets which have made them their habitation, and 

 of which I have reafon to believe that there is a 

 fpecies appropriated to each fpecies of palm-tree, 

 eafily find means to open their hard cafes with 

 hooked bills, which pierce like an awl, and hold 

 faft like pincers. 



Nature has, farther, accommodated animals of a 

 third order, which find in the bark, or in the flower 

 of a plant, as many conveniencies as the quadru- 

 ped has in a meadow, or the bird in the whole 

 tree : I mean the infects. Certain Naturalifls have 

 divided them into fix great tribes, which they 

 have characterized, according to cuftom, but to 

 very little purpofe, by Greek names. They clafs 

 them into coleopterous, or cafed, infects ; as the fca- 

 rab tribe, fuch are our may-bugs, or chafers : into 

 hémipterous, or half-cafed, as the gallinfects, fuch 

 is the kermès : into tétrapîerous farinaceous, or 

 four-mealy- winged, as butterflies -, into tétrapterous, 



without 



