CONNEXION BETWEEN PLANTS AND INSECTS. 65 



persons who have ever thought much upon the 

 admirable arrangement by which the occurrence 

 of such a calamity to many of the insect tribes is 

 avoided. We need scarcely remind the reader 

 that in the opening sentence of the last paragraph 

 there is one most important omission in the sketch 

 of the phenomena of returning spring ; that is, that 

 there is no mention of what takes place in plants, 

 of the putting forth of their young and tender 

 leaves. Now, as a majority of insects in the larva 

 state are vegetable-feeders, we can easily under- 

 stand that the unfortunate little beings if hatched 

 before the appearance of leaves would, without 

 doubt, quickly perish for lack of proper food. Yet 

 the returning warmth of the air is all that is re- 

 quisite to call the insect into existence, and if by the 

 time it is ready to burst from the shell there is not 

 food all prepared for it, it must die. The difficulty 

 has been beautifully provided for ; and perhaps, 

 few other instances of the wisdom of the Creator 

 in forming the insect world are so full of instruc- 

 tive thought as this. It has been ordained, then, 

 that soon as winter is over, the plant is first to 

 obey the voice of spring, and to awake ; and the 

 bursting buds on its lower boughs are already full 



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