OF NATURAL HISTORY. SSJf 



tieifroweft, at the junfture of two cells, are white, and thofe 

 of the broadeft are of a reddifli brown. The cells confifl 

 of a number of fine membranes, formed of a glutinous and 

 tranfparent fubftance from the animal's mouth. Each cell 

 our bee fills with the farina of flowers diluted with honey, 

 and in this pafte flie depofits an egg. She then covers the 

 cell, by gluing to its mouth a fine cellular fubftance taken 

 from the leaves of fome plant j and in this manner flie pro- 

 ceeds till her cylindrical neft is completed. The worms 

 which are hatched from the eggs feed upon the pafte, fo 

 carefully laid up for them by the mother, till they are tranf- 

 formed into flies fimilar to their parents. 



Among wafps, as well as bees, there are folitary fpecies, 

 which carry on no joint operations. Thefe folitary wafps 

 are not lefs ingenious in conftru£ling proper habitations for 

 their young, nor lefs provident in laying up for them a ftore 

 of nourifhment fufficient to fupport them till they are tranf- 

 formed into flies, or have become perfedl animals*. But, to 

 give a detailed defcription of their operations would lead us 

 into a prolixity of which the plan of our work does not admit. 



On this fubjeft, however, it cannot efcape obfervation, that 

 all the fagacity and laborious induftry exerted in the various 

 inftances of animal architecture above defcribed, have one 

 uniform tendency. They are defigned for the multiplica- 

 tion, protection, and nourifhment of offspring. But many of 

 them are fo artful, and require fuch perfevering labour, that 

 the human mind is bewildered when it attempts to account 

 for them. If we attend to the operations of quadrupeds, of 

 birds, and of infeCls, moft of them, like pregnant women, 

 feem to know, from their own feelings, and forefight, not 

 only their prefent condition, but what futurity is to produce. 

 To folve this problem, recourfe has been had by Des Cartes, 

 by Buffon, and by other philofophers, to conforoiation of 



* See page 12S, 



