110 SUPPLEMENT ON 



saw it cut off the head and abdomen, and then taking up with 

 its feet the trunk or middle portion of the body, to which 

 the wings remained attached, fly away ; but a breeze of wind 

 acting upon the wings of the fly turned round the wasp with 

 its burthen, and impeded its progress. Upon this it ahghted 

 again upon the gravel walk, sawed off first one wing and 

 then the other, and having thus removed the cause of its 

 embarrassment, flew off" with its booty. Could any process 

 of ratiocination be more perfect ? ' Something acts upon the 

 wings of this fly and impedes my flight ; if I wish to reach 

 my nest quickly, I must get rid of them — to effect which 

 the shortest way will be to alight again and cut them off.'' 

 These reflections or others of similar import, must be sup- 

 posed to have passed through the mind of the wasp, or its 

 actions are altogether inexplicable. Instinct might have 

 taught it to cut off the wings of all flies, previously to flying 

 away with them ; but here it first attempted to fly with the 

 wings on — was impeded by a certain cause — discovered what 

 this cause was, and alighted to remove it. The chain of 

 evidence seems perfect in proof, that nothing but reason 

 could have been its prompter."" 



To these latter observations nothing can be replied, but 

 that their value entirely depends on the exact truth of the 

 fact brought forward to support them. Now, though we 

 would not willingly impeach the high authority on which it 

 rests, it must be remembered that Dr. Darwin was an advo- 

 cate of the hypothesis, that all the actions of insects are 

 referable to a reasoning faculty. 



One of the strongest points in favour of Mr. Spence, is the 

 fact so well ascertained by a number of proofs, that insects 

 receive and communicate information, which we can hardly 

 suppose could be done if they were wholly devoid of reason. 

 Dr. Franklin relates a story to this effect which is very re- 

 markable. ' Having placed a pot containing treacle in a 



