AN INSECT UNIVERSE. 



181 



especially in autumn, of innumerable flies and bees, which, 

 when scarcely another flower is remaining, find food in its 

 honied blossoms and shelter under its glazed foliage. 



In our most imperfect review of the insect tribes, which 

 depend for their all of life and enjoyment on the oak, one can 

 hardly help being reminded of other orders of being more or 

 less indebted to the same vegetable benefactor even from 

 man, who building house and ship with oaken timber, is 

 assisted to perpetuate his thoughts by oaken and insect galls 

 to the bird who, building his eyrie on oaken branches, derives a 

 part of her support from oak-residing insects, and, by dropping 

 the acorns, helps, in return, to extend the race of her protecting 

 and supporting tree. 



B rfn- 



