IBBCT.XVI.i6. OF INSTINCT. 213 



food to her future young, (Derham. B. 4. c. 13, 

 Arift-.>tlc Hift. Animal, L. 5. c. 20. V 



A friend of mine put about fifty large caterpil- 

 lars collected fro HI cabbages on iome bran and a 

 few leaves Litt.. a. box, and covered it with gauze 

 to p. event dieir elcape. After a few days we law, 

 from moix rvm three: fourths of them, about eight 

 or ten Htri, aterpillars of the ichneumon-fly come 

 out of the-.r backs, arid Jpni coch a fmall cocoon of 

 filk, ai. ' in a few days the large caterpillars died. 

 This fruail fly it feems lavs it$ egg in the back of 

 the cabbage caterpillar, which when hatched preys 

 u; >n 'he material, which is produced there for the 

 purpose of irrakin- filk for the future neft of the 

 cabbage caterpillar; of which being deprived, the 

 cr.amre wa'nders about till it dies, and thus our 

 gardens are preferred by the ingenuity of this cruel 

 fly* This curious property of producing a filk 

 thread, which is common to fome Tea animals, fee 

 Botanic Garden, Part I. Note XXVII and is de- 

 figne-j for tne purpole of their transformation as 

 in the filk- worm, is ufed for conveying themfelves 

 from higher o^anches to lower ones of trees by fome 

 caterpillars, and to make themfelves temporary 

 nelts or tents, and by the fpider for entangling his 

 prey Nor is it flrange that fo much knowledge 

 Ihould !>e acquired by iuch fmall animals ; fmce 

 there is rei-ion to imagine, that thefe infecls have 

 the fenfe of touch, either in their probofcis, or their 

 antennae, to a great degree of perfection ; and 

 thence may poflefs, as far as their fphere extends, 

 as accurate knowledge, and fubtile invention, as 

 the difcoverers of human arts 



XVI. i. If we were better acquainted with the 

 hiftories of thofe infecls that are iurmcd into foci- 

 eties, as the bees, wafps, and ants, I make no 

 doubt but we mould find, that their arts and im- 

 provements arc not fo fimilar and uniform as they 



now 



