Mr, Mansuam’s further Obfervations on the Wheat Inf. 229 
ing to the pupa ftate, as the maggot becomes more white and opake, 
and is evidently fhrunk in length. ~ Another circumftance men- 
tioned by the accurate De Geer, that unites them ftill more clofely, 
and confirms my conjecture of the two fexes, is the difference 
between male and female; for he fays, Femina alz nigricantes, agree- 
ing with the clouded Wings in our figure, and at..the fame time 
confirming Mr. Kirby’s defcription of his. In fhort, fo nearly are 
thefe infects allied, that I fhould have little hefitation to pronounce 
them the fame,-had they not fed on plants fo very different 
in their nature and properties. The Ichneumon Tipule of Mr. Kirby 
has been fo fully obferved by all parties, that it requires’ nothing to 
be added here. I can only now obferve, that the difficulty of in- 
veftigating and fully exploring the fecret works of the Creator 
muft be my apology for {till offering imperfect hints inftead of a 
complete hiftory, but I have done fo with.a view to excite other 
labourers to favour us with their communications and experiments; 
for, to ufe the words of my valuable friend Kirby, “If we can ad- 
vance one ftep, it is fomething; and who can entirely remove the 
awful veil that conceals from mortal eyes the full beauty of the face 
of Nature, that envelopes in darknefs her fecret operations ? To get 
now and then a glimpfe of the footfteps of him who is ‘ wonder- 
ful in working’ is all that we can expeét. The united force of 
fuch obfervations, like rays colle€ted by a lens, which, although | 
when feparate they operate but flightly either as light or fire, will 
in time illuminate a fubjeét, and make us fee clearly in what dark- 
nefs we were before. To colleé&t thefe feparate rays is the office of 
the Linnean Siciety, by whofe means the light which each 
conyeys is caught ere it be diffipated, and thus mahy myfteries of 
Nature are elucidated, which otherwife might for ever have re~ 
"mained in obfcurity.” 
XX. Hp 
