. 1 6. OF INSTINCT. 217 



into their winter beds fat and flrong, but return 

 to day-light in the fpring feafon very lean and fee- 

 ble. The common flies ileep during the winter 

 without any provifion for their nourifhment, and 

 are daily revived by the warmth of the fun, or of 

 our fires. Thefe whenever they fee light endea- 

 vour to approach it, .having obferved, that by its 

 greater vicinity they get free from the degree of 

 torpor that the cold produces ; and are hence in- 

 duced perpetually to burn themfelves in our can- 

 dles : deceived, like mankind, by the mifapplica- 

 tionof their knowledge, Whiift many of the fub- 

 terraneous infects, as the common worms, feem to 

 retreat fo deep into the earth as not to be enlivened 

 or awakened by the difference of our winter days ; 

 and (top up their holes with leaves or draws, to 

 prevent the frofts from injuring them, or the cen- 

 tipes from devouring them. The habits of peace, 

 or the ftratagems of war, of thefe fubterranean na- 

 tions are covered from our view; but a friend of 

 mine prevailed on a diftreiled worm to enter the 

 hole of another worm on a bowling-green, and he 

 prefently returned much wounded about his head. 

 And I once faw a worm rife haftily out of the earth 

 into the funfhine, and obferved a centipes hanging 

 at its tail ; the centipes nimbly quitted the tail,, 

 and feizing the worm about its middle, cut it in 

 half with its forceps, and preyed upon one party 

 while the other efcaped. Which evinces they have 

 defign in (lopping the mouths of their habitations. 



4. The wafp of this country fixes his habitation 

 under ground, that he may not be affected with the 

 various changes of our climate ; but in Jamaica he 

 hangs it on the bough of a tree, where the feafons 

 are lefs fevere. He weaves a very curious paper of 

 vegetable fibres to cover his neft, which is con- 

 ftructed on the fame principle with that of the bee, 

 but with a different material \ but as his prey con- 



fiffe 



