﻿

ccclxxvii 



A 



?iomcna, the proper objeBs of his enquiry ; while the Naturalift endeavours 

 to obferve the peculiar fonns, differences, claffes, and general properties 



of all 



o 



The nature of fociety we may learn from 



Ccfior 



5 



and 



rules of government \ induftry and friendfiip> from the Ant and the Bee. 



The little Nautilus has ftrfl taught us to fail \ a?id the ufes of the Pad 

 die, the Lever, the Forceps, and the Saw, with a thoufand other mecha- 

 nical powers are daily Jhewn us by numbe?~s of the hifeB Tribe. 



Thefe, indeed, were for a long time confdered as the mere produBwts of 



filth and putrilage y about which they are frequently found \ and have 



been but little noticed among the Writers of Natural Hi/lories, until the 



obfervations of later ages 



9 



labours of the accurate Redi, Swamer 



dam, Wormius, Reaumure, Baker, De Juffieu, and Linneus, have 



> 



made us better acquainted with their mechanijms, aBions, and genius ; 

 a?td fatisfed eve?y per/on, that they are perfeB and diftinB beings ; an 

 as regular and uniform in propagating their f pedes, as a?iy other clafs of 

 individuals can pojjibly be. 



Their 

 iions an 



now 



organs, it is 



true, are fo fmall and delicate, an 



oeir mo 



operatiojts fo very quick, that it was almofl impoffible to 



a7iy 



of their formation^ parts, or mechantfm 

 were acquainted with the powers a?id ufe of microfcopes, 



y 



befc 



ore we 



w, 



hich 



we 



are now enabled to form dijlinB ideas 

 \een wholly unnoticed before ; and to 



r 



bfe 



many 



o 



bjeBs 



) 



that 



oave 



oojerve the form^ parts 



5 



a 



nd 



j > ruBure of many that are hardly perceptible to the naked eye : by their 

 ajfifla?ice we become daily acquainted with the manner and caufes of the 



mofl furprizing moveme?its and mechanical powers ; and b 



help 

 them alone we are at length enabled to range thefe minute objeBs in a re 



gular order, and to divide them into convenient claffes and genera, ac 

 cording to the 7nore and lefs ge?ieral uniformity that i: obferved to fub 



in 



their genius, forms 



parts, and fimBions. 



Nt 



or is 



oere 



clafs of the animal creation that 



our admiration more ; for, whether we confder the minutenefs of many 



any 

 deferves our attentio7i y or can move 



of the individuals, fome fcarcely larger than a globule of hu?7ian bloody 

 and yet fur nip ed with proportio7ied veffels and adequate juices ; with per 



feB organs to fee^ to feel^ a7id to propagate their kind ; with conve7iient 



weapons to de- 



I'mibs to 



wain, to fly, or to fwi?7t ; and frequently with 



alk 



fe7id their young, and to guard their labours a7id themf elves ; 



or o 



rve 



diver fity of their for 7ns, habits , and difpofitions , or more various me- 

 cha7iical operations ; we fhall hardly find any other clafs of beings that 



will afford fo great a variety 

 effeBually raife our thoughts 



cenes ; and 7ione that can fo 



and wifdm by whom all things were ordained. 



contemplation of that infinite power 



ueie, with 



a thoufand other curious or ufeful particulars, h 



ave, fince 



be invention of microjeopes, engaged a good deal of the attention of the 



leaivied 



4 



; many of whom have J pent a confder able part o 



ite m 



theft, 



it 



t 



