OF NATURAL HrSTORY. 517 



^ and hurt it fo, that, notwithftanding its living a twelve- 

 * month, it never enjoyed itfelf, and had a difficulty in tak- 

 ^ ing its food, miffing the mark for want of its eye. Before 

 ^ that accident it had all the appearance of perfect health*. 



Moft hifedsj efpecially after their laft transformation, are 

 (liort-lived. But the fpecies are continually fupported by 

 their wonderful fecundity. Thofe animals whofe parts re- 

 quire a long time of hardening and expanding are endowed 

 with a proportional degree of longevity. Infedts grow, and 

 their bodies harden, more quickly than thofe of larger ani- 

 mals. Many of them complete their growth in a few weeks, 

 and even in a few days. The duration of their exiftence is 

 accordingly lin'uted to very ihort periods. Some fpecies of 

 liies he in a torpid ftate during the winter, and revive when 

 the heat of fpring or fummer returns. The ephemeron flies, 

 of which there are feveral kinds, feldom live above one day, 

 or one hour, after their transformation. But, to continue 

 the fpecies, Nature has taken care that myriads of males and 

 females fliould be transformed nearly at the fame inftant. 

 Were it otherwife, the males and females could have no op- 

 portunity of meeting, and the fpecies would foon be extin- 

 guilTied. Other kinds are transformed more irregularly, and 

 live feveral days. Here the wifdom of Nature is confpicuous : 

 She prolongs the exiftence of thefe animals for no other 

 purpofe but to allow the individuals of both fexes to meet 

 and multiply the fpecies. Bees, and flies of all kinds, after 

 lying long in water, and having every appearance of death, 

 revive by the application of a gentle heat, or by covering 

 their bodies with alhes, chalk or fand, which abforb the fu- 

 perfluous moifture from their pores. Reaumur made many 

 experiments upon the revivifcence of drowned bees. He 

 found, that, after being immerfed in water for nine hours, 

 fome of them returned to life ; but he acknowledges that 



* Pennant's Britiih Zoology, vol. 3. page 332. 



R R r 



