213 ~ - 



anc.e either of the hole or the tapestry. What can this 

 mean I What is become of the nest that was so skil- 

 fully constructed, so properly lined, and was upwards 

 of three inches deep ? A few hours since, you admired 

 the ingenious "contrivance of it, and now the whole has 

 disappeared, so that you cannot discover the least t.ace 

 of it. What mastery then is this] It is effected as 

 follows : 



When the bee has done laying, and amassed her 

 quantity of paste, she takes down the tapestry, folds it 

 over the paste, which she wraps together in it, pretty 

 nearly as we fold on itself a cotrin or paper that is half 

 full : the egg and paste are by this means inclosed 

 within a little bag of flowers. The bee has then nothing 

 farther to do, but to fill up with earth all the void 

 space that is above the bag ; and this she performs with 

 such wonderful activity and exactness, as utterly to con- 

 ceal the place where the nest was. 



If a hare does not possess, like the rabbit, the art of 

 digging* for himseif a burrow, he does not, however, 

 want a sufficient degree of sagacity to enable him to se- 

 cure himself, and escape from his enemies. He< can, 

 choose for himself a form, and conceal himself betwixt 

 clods of earth that resemble the colour of his hair. In 

 winter, he takes up his lodging to the south, and in 

 summer time to the north ; \vlieia started by the dogs, 

 he pursues the same track for some time, goes the same 

 way back -again, darts aside, throws himseit into a bush, 

 and there squats down. The pack follow the path, 

 pass before the hare, and lose scent of him. 



The crafty animal sees them pass by and run far 

 from him, he issues from his retreat, confounds his 

 course, and puts the hounds- to a loss. He varies his 

 shifts continually, and always conducts them as his cir- 

 cumstances require. Sometimes at the cry of the hounds, 

 he quits his form, speeds away to the distance of a 

 quarter of a league, casts himseif into a pond, and lies 

 . Jiid among the rushes. At others, he mingles with a 

 flock of sheep, and will not abandon them. One time 



