A WALK THROUGH AN ENGLISH LANE. 83 



an additional charm from the varied forms of life which 

 swarm within its precincts. Every leaf is covered with 

 a very world of minute beings ; each bud and flower 

 attracts thousands of happy and sportive existences 

 within the sphere of its potent, though invisible 

 perfume ; and every plant is to creatures innumerable 

 a cradle, a nursery, a banquet, and a home. The air is 

 filled with the merry buzzing of insect wings that 

 glitter in the sunbeams ; the water teems with strange 

 and weird-like forms ; and even the apparently dull 

 earth below the feet contains within its bosom beings 

 as wonderfully mysterious in their structure and func- 

 tions, though seldom, to our eyes, so lovely as the in- 

 habitants of air. While we walk slowly through our 

 country lane, let us pay a little attention to a few of 

 the living hosts that are sure to cross our path. 



There goes a great humble-bee, blundering along 

 the flower-clad bank, with its steady, continuous drone, 

 occasionally broken by a sharp, congratulatory buzz, as 

 it alights on some untouched flower, and proceeds to 

 rifle it of its sweet treasures. That is a maternal bee, 

 hard at work as usual, gathering stores for her home, 

 but taking very good care to give no intimation respect- 

 ing her address. 



The wiles of these insects are really astonishing. 

 To find a humble-bee's nest is a common event enough ; 

 but to track the insect to her home is no such easy 

 matter. She soon finds out that she is being watched, 



G 2 



