USEFULNESS OP INSECTS. 149 



world, as vultures are amongst birds, and they 

 clear away vast quantities of decaying vegetable 

 and dead animal matter. An insect supplies us 

 with the valuable colouring matter called cochineal, 

 which is nothing but its body dried. Silk is fur- 

 nished by another insect whilst it is undergoing its 

 transformations. 



The silk-worm, like the young of many other 

 insects, changes its skin several times, and when it 

 has arrived at its full size, it spins itself a web as 

 a covering. The outer part of the web is coarse 

 and irregular, but the inner lining is of fine -silk, 

 and in regular threads. The enclosed worm and 

 its web is called a cocoon : this is placed in a hot 

 oven for the purpose of destroying the insect, 

 which would, otherwise, after a while, eat its way 

 out, and thus spoil the web. After this the silk is 

 wound off, and, by various processes, made fit for 

 being manufactured into the most beautiful fabrics. 

 If the cocoon were left uninjured, in the course of 

 a short time a butterfly would issue from it. Silk 

 forms a very important article of commerce, vast 

 quantities being used for dress and other purposes. 



The more we examine the insect world, the 

 more sensible do we become of the mighty power 

 and goodness of God. No other portion of the 

 animal kingdom is filled with such curious and 

 beautiful instances of his care and continual pro- 

 tection ; in place, therefore, of looking upon the 

 numberless " creeping things," which beset us on 

 all sides, as objects of disgust or terror, or as 



