86 MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



attention of the moat superficial inquirer, and to awaken the deepest interest in the pliilo 

 sophic^observer : it is thronged with records of stiange and miglity changes and convulsions; 

 of revolutions in climate, and in tiie genei'a and sjjecies of the organic creation; it carries the 

 mind back to a period indefinitely remote, when our present continents were at the bottom 

 of the ocean, from which they seem to have been elevated sometimes by the slowest degrees, 

 and at others by a more rapid and violent cause, and when botii sea and land were tenanted 

 by distinct tribes and races of extraordinary animals and vegetables ; it shows that everything 

 as we now find it has been gradually and successively developed, as it were, and that man 

 himself has appeared but late upon this siugulai" stage." 



Mr. Randall says — and therein has displayed a^aia his <Tood judgment — lliat 

 " the purely scientific details and technical language, with which the practical 

 geologist is familiar, have been, as far as possible, purposely avoided, in order to 

 disencumber the general survey of the ample field thus opened to view of those 

 perplexities and embarrassments which their introduction in the elementary stage 

 of our inquiries could scarcely fail to induce." 



ENTOMOLOGY— THE SPIDER. 



We have already and repeatedly set forth the light in which we regard the 

 study of natural history, in all its branches, and the importance of making works 

 illustrative of it a portion of the course of sludy in all our schools. Boys might 

 be made so fond of it as to regard it as a pastime, and almost to relinquish for it 

 their play-time and vacations. 



However difficult, says a charming writer, it may be entirely to comprehend 

 the phenomena we daily witness, everything in nature is full of instruction. 



" Thus, the humblest flower of the field — although, to one whose curiosity has not been 

 excited, and whose understanding has, therefore, remained uninformed, it may a})pear worth- 

 less and contemptible — is valuable to the botanist, not only with regard to its j)lace in the 

 arrangement of this portion of the Creator's works, but as it leads his mind forward to tlie 

 consideration of those beauliftd provisions for the supporf of vegetable lite, which it is the 

 part of the physiologist to study and to admire. 



" Tliis train of reasoning is peculiarly applicable to the economy of insects. They consti- 

 tute a very large and iuteresting part of the animal kingdom. They are everj'where about 

 us. The spider weaves his curious web in oiu- houses ; the caterpillar constructs his silken 

 cell in our gardens: the wasp that liovers over our food has a nest not far renioveil fi-oni us, 

 which she has assisted to build witli the nicest art; the beetle that crawls across our ])atli is 

 also an ingenious ;md laborious mechanic, and has some curious instincts to exhibit to those 

 who will feel an interest in watching his movements ; and the moth tliat eats into our clothes 

 has something to ]ilead for our jiity, for he came, like us, naked into the world, and he has 

 destroyed our garments, not in malice or wantonness, but that he may clothe himself with 

 the same wool which we have stri))iied from tlie ^lleep. An obsi'ivation of the habits of these 

 little creatures is full nf vahiable lessons, wliicli the abundance of the examples has no ten- 

 dency to dimini.sh. The more such observalituis <ue muhi plied, the more are we led for- 

 ward to the freshest and the most delightfid parts of knowledge — the more do we learn to 

 estimate rightly the extraordinary provisions and most abundant resources of a creative Prov- 

 idence — and the better do we ai)pi-eciate our own relations with all llie iniinite varieties of 

 Nature, and our dependence, in common with the cphemeron that flutters its litde hour in 

 the sunnner sun, upon that Being in whose scheme of existence the humblest ;is well as the 

 highest creature has its destined puri)oses." 



In these views we recur again and for the last time, for the amusement of our 

 readers, to the " Pastoral Life of the Ancients," for the following observations 

 on the Avorks of a predatory insect, whose hahits and cunning contrivances are 

 among the first lessons which Nature teaches us, witliout books, and almost as 

 soon as she opens our faculties of observation : 



Of spiders there are many species ; most of them extend their labors iin farther than mere- 

 ly to make a web to ensnare and detain tlieir food. But othei-s are known to go beyond tliis, 

 and spin a bag in the form of a cocoon, for the protection of their eggs, nearly similar to that 

 of the silk-wonn. 

 (t82J 



