housewife's department. 377 



THE HOUSEWIFE'S DEPARTMENT. . 



THE HABITS OF INSECTS. 



What! a chapter on insects — filthy insects — for the Ilousewife^s Department ? 

 Even so, good friends, a few words on what is called Entomology for your amuse- 

 ment, strange as it may appear. While there are some who would circumscribe 

 the range of Woman's inquiries and intellectual exercise, within limits so narrow 

 that little would remain beyond the almanac and the cookery book, we would 

 not fly to the other extreme: yet, we hold it to be strictly Avithin her province, 

 as she can catch the time, to make herself passably well acquainted with the 

 natural history of birds, plants, fruit-trees and insects; because these all fall with- 

 in the sphere of her daily walks and duties ; and some of them, as every house- 

 wife knows to her sorrow, within the list of her daily annoyances. The least 

 glimpse at the variety and importance of the subject will beget a desire to pur- 

 sue the study ; and qualify her to participate in the so much more various con- 

 versation of her friends, and by-and-by to impart entertaining instruction to her 

 children. 



Among the most interesting of "Knight's Weekly Volumes " are, for instance, 

 those on Insect Architecture and Bird Architecture ; and who has not been agree- 

 ably surprised and delighted in following Huish, in his researches and descrip- 

 tions of the habits, economy, the architecture, the industry, the policy,and even 

 the wars of bees and a7its ! for Man is not the only creature that takes delight in 

 slaughtering his fellow beings ; but these others have not the lights of Christi- 

 anity to restrain them. They are not endowed with our high faculties, nor, that 

 we know of, enjoined from on high to " love their enemies " : 



•• Say. why was Man thus eminently raised 

 Amid the vast creation 1 Why empowered 

 Through life and death, to cast his watchful eye 

 With thought beyond the limits of his frame 'I 

 But that the Omnipotent might send him forth 

 In sight of angels and approving worlds — 

 Might send him forth the sovereign good to learn, 

 To chase each meaner passion from his breast 

 And through the storms of passion and of sense. 

 To hold straight on, with constant heart and eye 

 ."^till fixed upon Man's everlasting palm 

 The approving smile of Heaven." 



"Could mankind," says Bewick, "be prevailed upon to read a few lessons 

 from the great Book of Nature, so amply spread out before them, they would 

 clearly see the hand of Providence in every page ; and would they consider the 

 faculty of reasoning as the distinguishing gift of the human race, and use it as 

 the guide of their lives, they would find their reward in a cheerful resignation 

 of mind — in peace and happiness, under the conscious persuasion that a good 

 naturalist cannot be a bad mati." 



THE ADVANTAGES OF STUDYING ENTOMOL- | gtand to Mail, to domestic animals, aiid fo tlio 

 OGT BY THE AGRICULTURIST AND FOREST- ! different kiiuls of vegetable productions, 



ER, AND THE METHOD OF DOING SO. " ■ .... 



The branch of Natural History whicli re- 

 spects the knowledge of Insects is named, 

 according to the generally received Greek 

 expression. Entomology. 



The intimate connection in which insects 

 '■737J 



makes them well worthy the consitleratiou 

 of every one, and particularly of the agricul- 

 turist and the t<)rester. Although insects are 

 small and inconsiderable, the c.xceeJnigly 

 great number of species, and the still greater 

 number of individuals in many of them, fill- 



