276 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



now, the long neck is drawn back, the head resting between 

 the wings, its usual mode of reposing ; but it frequently pokes 

 out its neck to see what is going on. It flies with a flagging 

 motion ; and as it slowly rises to flight, and unfolds its 

 great pinions, we are startled to see such an expanse of wing 

 displayed by what we had supposed so small a bird : it 

 chiefly frequents marshes. A species of bittern is found in 

 Newfoundland, which I suppose to be this kind. 



C. I lately saw a fly, which closely resembles the com- 

 mon Sand-wasp (Ammophila Sabulosa), but is a little 

 smaller. A great difficulty has occurred to my mind with 

 respect to the transformation of these and similar insects, 

 which I should be glad to have explained. How do those 

 insects, whose abdomen is joined to the thorax by a long 

 and slender petiole, contrive to draw it through the narrow 

 pupa skin which envelopes that part ? 



F. The solution of this problem affords a beautiful in- 

 stance of the way in which difficulties are met and obviated 

 in the works of God. I recollect opening the earthy cocoon 

 of a Sphexs nest, a species which has a very slender petiole: 

 the white pupa was lying within, inert, and wrapped 

 in its swaddling clothes ; and the delicate transparent skin, 

 which closely enveloped every other part, was stretched from 

 the thorax to the abdomen, like a garment, being as wide 

 around the petiole, as in any part of the swelling abdomen. 

 This sight struck me with pleasure and admiration ; it proved 

 creative design and forethought, better than a dozen lectures 

 could have done. Here was a difficulty foreseen, which the 

 insect had never yet experienced ; occurring in a state of 

 being on which it had not yet entered, and for which it could 

 not possibly have received any instructions, having been im- 

 mured from the egg, nay, from the ovary of the parent, within 

 a very close and dark prison, without the slightest communi- 

 cation with the external world. It was removed by a re- 



