ON INSECTS. 55 



created beings would become entirely disor- 

 ganised or disarranged, so completely does the 

 well-being of some depend on the existence of 

 others." This is a curious and interesting re- 

 mark, coming from such authority, and is well 

 worth your recollection. 



There are supposed to be about fifteen thou- 

 sand different sorts of insects in the world ; and 

 many of them, if viewed through a microscope, 

 would surprise you by the beauty and richness 

 of their colours. Some have fins, like a fish ; 

 or a beak, resembling that of birds. Others 

 have horns, like a bull or a stag. One is 

 armed with tusks, not unlike those of an ele- 

 phant; another has spines, like the quills of 

 the porcupine or hedgehog; and some are 

 covered with a substance like horn. 



But perhaps the most interesting fact is, that 

 there is no one invention of man up to the pre- 

 sent time of which some hint may not have been 

 taken from insects. You know that steamboats 

 are made to pass along the water by means of a 

 wheel on each side of the vessel. Well, there 

 is an insect which moves itself in the water by 

 the assistance of two little wheels fixed to its 

 sides, which it turns round with great quick- 



