LI.WAEA.V CABINET. 233 



and splendid was ever seen before, and pitying her vulgar ancestors, 

 who were doomed to unsightly whitewash and rushes, is ignorant all the 

 while, that before she or her ancestors were in existence, and even be- 

 fore the boasted Tyrian dye was discovered, a little insect had known 

 how to hang the walls of its cell with tapestry of a scarlet more bril- 

 liant than any her rooms can exhibit, and that others daily weave silken 

 carpets, both in tissue and texture infinitely superior to those she so 

 much admires. Other arts have been equally forestalled by these creatures. 

 What vast importance is attached to the invention of paper ! For near 

 six thousand years one of our commonest insects has known how to 

 make and apply it to its purposes ; and even pasteboard, superior in sub- 

 stance and polish to any we can produce, is manufactured by another. 

 We imagine that nothing short of intellect can fte equal to the construc- 

 tion of a diving-bell or air-pump — yet a spider is in the daily habit of 

 using the one, and, what is more, one exactly similar in principle to ours, 

 but more ingeniously contrived ; by means of which she resides unwet- 

 ted in the bosom of the water, and procures the necessaay supplies of 

 air by a much more simple process than our alternating buckets — and 

 the caterpillar of a little moth knows how to imitate the other, produ- 

 cing a vacuum, when necessary for its purposes, without any piston be- 

 sides its own body. If we think with wonder of the populous cities 

 which have employed the united labors of man for many ages to bring 

 them to their full extent, what shall we say to the white ants, which re- 

 quire only a few months to build a metropolis capable of containing an 

 infinitely greater number of inhabitants than even imperial Nineveh, Ba- 

 bylon, Rome, or Pekin, in all their glory!" 



That insects should thus have forestalled us in our inventions, ought 

 to urge us to pay a closer attention to them and their ways than we 

 have hitherto done, since it is not improbable that the result would be 

 many useful hints for the improvement of our arts and manufactures, 

 and perhaps for some beneficial discoveries. 



A Lover of Nature. 



CABINET OF THE LINXAEAN SOCIETY. 



Our readers have, no doubt, observed with satisfaction the steady increase of 

 the Linnaean Cabinet, donations to which are acknowledged monthly upon our 

 outside cover. These articles do not lie as useless and confused masses of lumber 

 in our hall, but are from time to time regularly and scientifically arranged. The 

 President of the society, Dr. Morris, a few weeks since, thus arranged and la- 

 belled the shells and Crustacea, according to the system of Lamarck, .so that stu- 

 dents in this department, here possess every advantage. The minerals and fossils, 

 of which the collection is very extensive, were, at the same time, placed in similar 

 order by Prof. Jacobs, who haa the care of this department of Natural Science in 

 Penn. College. 



