AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 591 



spring ; tlie mothers of all living things are cradled in an egg, 

 and from her the destiny and diversity of all are derived ; this is 

 the grand starting jjoint for all insects, animals and vegetables. 

 It behooves an agriculturist never to destroy an egg, unless hie 

 well knows to what it belongs. An ignorant gardener when he 

 finds cocoons on the bark of his fruit trees, immediately rubs 

 them off ; they miglit, if left to nature, have produced the very 

 useful Ichneumouidse, one of man's best friends, of which there are 

 twelve hundred varieties ; they destro^ myriads of insects that 

 injure our orchards, woods and cereals. We make war upon 

 mosquitoes and fleas; they are useful to man, as they prevent him 

 from becoming inactive, stupid and resigned to slothfulness. We 

 destroy ants when they enter our houses; this is working directly 

 against the beneficence of nature, as they would not come except 

 to annihilate the ova and offspring of cockroaches, crickets and 

 other auxiliaries of a similar nature that they esteem, and after 

 having performed that duty, invariably retire to their associations 

 for the purpose of preserving, multiplying and providing for their 

 kind. Ants hold an interesting and prominent position among 

 insects, as they certainly present high traits of animal instinct, 

 and like the honey bee exhibit life in an amiable state of har- 

 mony. They are both highly endowed and educated as architects 

 and artists. The ant is more particularly celebrated as an edu- 

 cator, and the honey bee as a geometrician. The ant is republi- 

 can, and the bee monarchial, being governed by a queen reigning 

 over a family of virgins. Spiders are likewise entitled to consid- 

 eration, as they are constantly employed putting an end to the 

 existence of the troublesome fly; they are said to be edible, and 

 taste like nuts. Man derives important and immediate advan- 

 tage from many insects. Bees furnish honey and wax. The silk worm 

 clothes, gives occupation to, and, consequently, food for thousands 

 of mankind. Gadflies, by puncturing the oak to deposit their 

 ova, produce an excrescence which furnishes us with gall nuts, 

 essential to dying. Cochineal is produced by an insect called 

 coccuscacti. The cantharides, or blister flies, are essential to the 

 healing art. Insects accomplish the fructification of different 

 plants. Many amphibious animals, mammalia, birds and fishes. 



