OF NATURAL HISTORY. 155 



birth of the child, the bulinefs became too complicated and 

 extenfive for the time I had to beftow on fubjeds of this 

 nature. 



The brute creation affords innumerable examples of pure 

 inftin£ls. 



When caterpillars are fh:;iken off a tree in every direction, 

 all of them inftantly turn toward the trunk, and climb up, 

 though they had never formerly been on the furface of the 

 ground. 



Young birds open their mouths upon hearing any kind 

 of noife, as well as that of their mother's voice. They have 

 no appreheniions of harm ; neither do they offer to ufe 

 their wings till they acquire more ftrength and experience. 

 The lion's cub is not ferocious till he feels force and activity 

 for deftruftion. 



Infedls invariably depofit their eggs in fituations moft fa- 

 vourable for hatching and affording nourifhment to their 

 future progeny. Butterflies, and other infedls, whofe off- 

 fprirjg feed upon vegetables, uniformly fix their eggs upon 

 fuch plants as are moft agreeable to the palate and conftitu- 

 tion of their young. Water infects never depofit their eggs 

 on dry ground. I have feen butterflies which had been 

 transformed in the houfe exhibit marks of the greatefl:uneafi- 

 Xieis becaufe they could not find a proper nidus for their 

 eggs ; and, when every other refource failed, they pafted the 

 eggs on the panes of the window. 



Some fpecies of animals look not to future wants. Others, 

 as the bee and the beaver, are endowed with an inftin^l 

 which has the appearance of forefight. They conftrudt 

 magazines, and fill them with provifions. 



The common bees attend the female, or queen, do her 

 many little fervices, and even feed her with honey from 

 their trunks*. When deprived of the female^ all their la- 



* Reaumur, ij^mo edit, vol, 9. page 300. 



