INDIRECT BENEFITS DERIVED FROM INSECTS. 279 



veloped by her in a web, and then devoured — a sight 

 which, lie observes, filled hira \nth horror and indig- 

 nation^. 



Such are the benefits which we derive from the in- 

 sects that keep each other in check. Here they are the 

 destroyers to which we are chiefly indebted : but we are 

 in another point of view under nearly equal obligations 

 to the destroyed; for they are insects, either wholly or 

 in part, that form the food of some of our most esteemed 

 fishes, and of birds that are not more valuable to us as 

 articles for the table, than as the songsters that enliven 

 our groves. But before proceeding to the details which 

 this view of the subject involves, I ought not to omit 

 pointing out to you that many quadrupeds, which 

 though not all of direct utility to us are doubtless of 

 importance in the scale of being, derive a considerable 

 part of their subsistence from insects. 



The harmless hedgehog and the mole, to begin at 

 the lower end of the series, are both said to be insec- 

 tivorous*" ; the latter devouring large quantities of the 

 wire-worms. The greedy swine will root up whole 

 acres in search of the grubs of cockchafers, of which 

 they are very fond ; and perhaps the good they do is 

 greater than the harm, if their attack be confined to 

 grass that having been undermined by these grubs would 

 soon die : they also dig up the larvtE of the destructive 

 Tettigonia septendecim, called the American locust'", 

 on which, when in their perfect state, the squirrels are 

 said to grow fat ''. The badger, Lesser informs us, 

 will eat beetles ; and its kinsman the bear has the cha- 



^ De Geer, v\\. 180. " Bingley, ii. 374. 



•= Ibid. iii. 27. " CoUinson in Philos. Trans. 1763. 



