No. 199.J 637 



The exquisite keenness of sight in them is certain, from the fact 

 that a cloud of the smallest flies dancing in the beams of the sun, 

 darting past each other in swift career, never hurt one another. The 

 ground beneath their airy field sport has been often examined, in or- 

 der to find some one killed or wounded or some leg or wing. No 

 such evidence of even accident has ever been found. 



The dragon fly is found in one of the ages preceeding the genera] 

 order of animals as now existing. He was in company wifh the 

 Megalosaurus, Ichthyosaurus, Plesiosaurus, the bird like bats, &c. , a 

 list of only 17 animals and vegetables as restored by Coneybeare. 



The dragon fly moves with great speed, and at the top of it, in- 

 stantaneously by a clash of his wings, changes his course so sudden 

 and so perfect in this reversed action, that as far as the most close 

 observation can ascertain the fact, the dragon fly after the clash of his 

 wings, does not proceed an inch further in the direction he had at the 

 inst-ant of the clash of his wings. 



The bee is believed to keep such an eye upon his hive, that at any 

 moment, at the distance of several miles, it can commence its return 

 to the hive by running his well known aerial rail track so straight that 

 it has all the character of a mathematical right line, that is, the short- 

 est distance between two points. A right line is properly styled a 

 bee line tlierefore. 



The study of insects is but commenced, after all that has been 

 done. For protection to our crops against our insect enemies, many 

 a vain effort has been made ; but great as is their power, we may, by 

 careful study and some universal practice, conducted at some period 

 of the insects stages, attain the mastery of them. That is, for all 

 farmers and gardeners, in any district or county, at some agreed time 

 when the enemy is most easily assailed, to exert every means for their 

 simultaneous dcstructiom. 



The birds of Africa being so^ vastly numerous, that the grain is pre- 

 served by them from the insects, are found to be under the necesaty 

 of consuming rather too much of the grain whidi they thus protect 



