STUDY I. 



23 



animal fpecies has its particular varieties, proper 

 to itfelf, and which triple, at lead, the kingdom 

 of creatures exilling by refpiration. Neither have 

 I taken into the account, that infinite number of 

 living things, vifible and invifible, known and un- 

 known, which have no fixed determination, and 

 which Nature has fcattered about, through the Air, 

 over the Earth, and along the depths of the Ocean. 



What an undertaking, then, would it be, to 

 defcribe each of thefe beings, with the fagacity of 

 a Reaumur ^ The life of one man of genius, would 

 be fcarcely fufficient to compofe the Hiftory of a 

 few infedts. However curious may be the memoirs 

 tranfmitted to us, after the mod careful refearch, 

 refpeding the manners, and the anatomy, of the 

 animals moft familiarly known, in vain do we ftill 

 flatter ourfelves with our having acquired a com- 

 plete acquaintance. The principal requifite, in my 

 opinion, is yet wanting; I mean, the origin of 

 their friendfhips and of their feuds. Tn this 

 confifhs, if I am not miftaken, the efi^ence of 

 their Hiftory, to which muft be referred- their in- 

 ftinds, their loves, their wars; the attire, the arms, 

 and the very form which Nature gives them. A 

 moral fentiment feems to have determined their 

 phyfical organization. I know not of any Natu- 

 ralift who has engaged in a refearch of this fort. 

 The Poets have endeavoured to explain thefe 



■c 4 wonderful 



