194 Zoology. 



biting any signs of pain, seeming wholly unconscious of its 

 own unpleasant situation, being still secured by the pin 

 before-named, to a piece of cork ; when the fly was devour- 

 ed, the insect began to flutter, and made several attempts to 

 regain its liberty ; the gentleman, greatly surprised at this 

 incident, and willing to prove the experiment still further, 

 caught another fly,which he offered to it, this was eagerly seized 

 by the rapacious animal, and devoured with greediness, and 

 ■when its meal was finished, it began to flutter again ai 

 before. 



We do not repeat this anecdote with a view to encourage 

 or palliate cruelty to Insects, but merely adduce the fact, in 

 opposition to the generally received opinion of the suscepti- 

 bility of this class of animals. It certainly is not derogating 

 from the benevolence so conspicuous in all the works of 

 Providence, to conceive it probable, he has with infinite wis- 

 dom witheld from some of the lower classes of Animals that 

 degree of sensation so abundantly dispensed to others 

 filling the higher ranks of creation ; as from the habits neces- 

 sarily entailed upon them, they are more likely to encounter 

 accidents that tend to mulitate, than other individuals of 

 higher powers of sensation : thus we often see (an animal 

 belonging to the next order, or lower scale of creation,) the 

 common Earth- Worm, an object of contention between two 

 birdS; neither of which being willing to part with its prize, 

 in the scuffle the worm is frequently separated into three 

 parts, each of the birds flying away with an extremity, and 

 leaving the centre portion of the animal behind ; which, if 

 the situation where it is left be moist and sheltered, in a tew 

 days begins to repair its loss, and in a short time restores its 



