156 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



whose integrity I cannot in the smallest degree 

 call in question. Tliere is room, however, for 

 mistakes in such kind of observations ; and in 

 iriost of them, the snake was disturbed, before 

 the scene was finished. That there is some- 

 thing curious in these appearances, cannot be 

 doubted. But whether these snakes have such 

 powers, or by what causes such events are pro- 

 duced, seems to require more accurate obser- 

 vations, and a more philosophical investigation.* 



INSECTS. 



The insects are too minute, and numerous, 

 to be particularly described. The most com- 

 mon are the beetle, grassho]:)per, cricket, butter- 

 fly, firefly, blackfly, moth, flea, ant, musqueto, 

 spider, hornet, wasp, bumble bee, honey bee, 

 various kinds of bugs, and se'/eral species of 

 worms. Of these the musqueto is the most 

 troublesome. The wea\al, the Hessian fly, and 

 the locust, are not known in this part of the 

 continent. 



Of the bee, there is a species which is gen- 

 erally called ^vith us, the humble bee. This is 

 indigenous to the country, and much larger than 

 the common bee. It forms a nest upon the 

 ground ; and produces a species of honey, in 

 transparency, beauty, and sweetness, fully equal 

 to that of the hone}' bee ; but much less in 

 quantity. Whether the honey bee is a native 

 of the country, seems to be viewed by some as 

 uncertain. I do not find much reason to doubt, 

 but that it was in America, before the Europe- 



* Appendix No. IV 



