91 Mr. Skene on the Emigration of Caterpillars. 



find it fall short of explaining much of what may be observed 

 in the operations even of that lowest tribe of creatures. We 

 readily lavish our admiration on the wonderful arrangements 

 of some tribes, whose operations may be more particularly 

 exposed to our scrutiny, but this may arise fully more from 

 our deficiency of observation or opportunity, than from the 

 inferiority of one class to another in the marvellous nature 

 of their operations. Wherever our observation penetrates in 

 the wide field of nature, we shall not want cause for wonder 

 or motives for diffidence in the limited extent of our own fa- 

 culties. It is admitted that instinct may account for their pro- 

 ceedings so long as they remain uninterrupted by opposition, 

 but what must we call that species of intelligence that instant- 

 ly proceeds to remedy, if practicable, any unforeseen accident 

 that may interrupt their proceedings ? 



Iobserved, what appeared to me, a very slender snake, writh- 

 ing across my path, which, but for the unusual season for these 

 reptiles to appear, I should, no doubt, have passed unheeded. 

 See Plate II. Fig. 5. Upon examination, however, it turned 

 out to be the orderly emigration of a colony of large caterpillars. 

 They were proceeding assiduously along therocky path, inaline 

 of march by single files, and so close that they appeared to 

 have a hold each of his neighbour's tail, and the continued 

 wave formed by their motion had a very singular effect. The 

 stony surface of the path rendered their progress exceedingly 

 tortuous, and interrupted by much climbing over stones, as 

 they seemed in general more disposed to go over the top of 

 a stone than round its base. When such obstacles occurred, 

 the march, notwithstanding, did not sustain the slightest de- 

 rangement, as no troops could mark time with greater precision 

 and patience than the rear of the line, while the front was en- 

 gaged in climbing over any obstacle, or the leader had stopped 

 to examine the difficulty; the front, in their turn, tarrying until 

 the rear had succeeded in surmounting the obstruction which 

 the front had just passed. They were twenty-two in number, 

 and nearly of the same size, except one, considerably larger 

 than the rest, whose place was exactly in the centre of the line. 

 The leader, on the contrary, was rather smaller than any of 

 the rest. A large precipitous stone was in their way ; the 

 leader reared up, moving his head from side to side, as if 



