Tipula Tritici, and Ichnetimon Tipul. 235 
may feem at firft fight, might, if permitted to exceed its due limits, 
deprive us of the ftaff of bread, and almoft occafion the deftrution 
of our fpecies! The fuperftition of the» Ancients, had they been 
acquainted with! the: advantages which» appear to be derived to man 
through the inftrumentality of this important though minute link 
in the chain of creation, would, have ere&ted altars to it, as toa 
beneficent deity: Can) wey who enjoy:the clear light of revelation, 
. do-lefs than, ‘adore and extol that goodnefs, which thus preferves a 
due balance in his works, and: fays: to the deftroyet, Thus far thalt 
thou come, and no further * ? . Indeed,the numerous. {pecies of the 
genus Ichneumon feem to have been, created on. purpofe to keep 
within,-due. bounds.the other. tribes, of infeéts... Any perfon who 
has, obferved the depredations committed in our gardens by the 
caterpillar, of the cabbage butterfly; may, conjecture to what extent 
they would, be carried, were it,not given in charge to the Ichneumon 
of that infeét to,.keep them).within.their -affigned. limits, In a 
word, were. it;ngt for this philanthropic genus, ;we fhould not be 
able to ftirz;nor.even. breathe, without being annoyed, nay fuffocated 
by myriads,and myriads of troublefome animals, which are. now 
taught to know their proper/bounds, and anfwer the.ends for which 
they were created., But ;why.do I thus, moralize to you, to whom, 
thefe reflections are perpetually eure? I fhall therefore return. 
to my hiftory. Bi i ican tieiihid ihe Yn sal Yas 
It is fingular, but moft people . who are. bene a with the in 
of the Tipula Tritici miftake this , friendly, Ichneumon for its pa- 
rent, and thus impute all the mifchief, to the, very creature which 
©* Finis creationis telluris eft gloria Dei, ex opere naturze per hominem folum. ° Zinn. 
Omnes res creatzx funt divine fapientiz et potentiz teftes: divitite felicitates humane: 
Ex harum ufu bonitas creatoris; ex pulchredine fapientia Domini; ex ceconomia in con- 
fervatione, proportione, renovatione, potentia majeftatis elucet. Id. 
Hh 2 is 
