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also confer on him an extraordinary memory, one vastly 

 superior to your own (such a one as you would perhaps 

 hardly concede him without better evidence) as he flies 

 by object after object in endless succession, to be noted, 

 observe ! (if he be guided by sight) as land-marks on his re- 

 turn ! Or take another instance in another insect you 

 attempt to approach a fly he escapes, you say from 

 fear he saw you and was afraid 1 why it looks like it ! 

 but have you made up your mind to allow a passion or 

 moral emotion to a fly? Consider what generates fear. Is 

 it not the remembered experience of something hurtful? 

 If a fly, instructed by his eyes, did indeed fear your ap. 

 proach, or was afraid to trust you, how is it that the very 

 next minute he settles upon your hand ? Do others of the 

 insect race, who have so much more reason to expect in- 

 evitable retribution, exhibit fear ? is a flea afraid ? But 

 if a moth flies to the light, he must see the light, and be 

 guided thither by vision ! Here then, observe, you again 

 allow volition, and with volition, intelligence! but could 

 intelligence intelligence sharpened by plentiful experience, 

 determine to this act of phrenzy, this suicidal exercise 

 of will ? Surely had any, the lowest intelligence been im- 

 parted to the winged fire-worshipper, it would deter him 

 from rushing on his fate, which, however, he does with 

 the determination of a Malabar widow ! scorched never 

 so severely, (one should like to know, at least, if he feels 

 pa ! n.) back he goes to the fatal wick 1 



" Nil ergo est sibi tot olfecisse lacernas I " 



I presume not .to conjecture the nature of that ex- 

 terior agency, (for exterior it must be,) that compels, or 

 conducts the bee to the inevitable hive, and the moth to 

 the inevitable candle ;* but assuredly I cannot go the 



* They have just lighted the Boulevards with gas , and it is curi- 

 ous, these snminer nights, to see the myriads of insects of various 

 kinds that beset the glass lanterns, seemingly angry that they can- 

 not fly in ! 



