22 PHYSIOLOGY. 



higher class, though when animalized it still re- 

 tains its white colour. Although its distribution 

 is obscure, from its analogy to blood, we may con- 

 clude that it is a fluid which visits and nourishes 

 every part of the insect's body ; that from it secre- 

 tions are made, and that, as in other creatures, it 

 is fitted for these purposes by receiving oxygen 

 from the air-vessels. CUVIER has observed that 

 the blood of insects, " for want of a circulating 

 system, not being able to seek the air, the air 

 goes to seek the blood ;" the air-vessels, as I have 

 stated under the head of Respiration, are distributed 

 to every part of the body. 



NUTRITION. 



From what I have said under the head of Cir- 

 culation, it w T ill appear evident that the bodies of 

 bees and other insects are supplied with nutri- 

 ment in a very simple manner. CUVIER is of 

 opinion that it is obtained by direct absorption or 

 transudation, by imbibition as he calls it, through 

 the pores of the intestinal canal, along which the 

 blood or animalized chyle passes : and LYONNET 

 thinks that this imbibition is analogous to that 

 which takes place from the earth by the roots of 

 plants. 



SECRETION. 

 Every thing connected with the subject of se- 



