OF I>rsECTS IN GENERAL. 



329 



of nature, are abfolutely neceflarj to life. Many of 

 them, like the nobler animals, are furniQied with lungs, 

 and an heart ; yet the caterpillar lives, though its heart 

 and lungs, as is often the cafe, are entirely eaten away. 

 In feme, the ftomach periflies altogether, and is again re- 

 newed J others, after being cut into feveral pieces, not 

 only continue in life, but are formed into as many new 

 diftinft animals as there were fegments of the old ! As 

 in mechanics, the moll complicated machines are requir- 

 ed to perform the niceft operations, fo, in anatomy, the 

 nobleft animals are moil varioufly and wonderfully 

 made *. Of all living beings, man offers the moll won» 

 derful variety in his internal conformation ; quadrupeds 

 come next ; and after them the other animals follow, in 

 proportion to their powers and excellencies ; while in- 

 fedls feem to fill up the laft and lowefl rank of animated 

 nature ; fome of them being fo imperfectly organized, 

 that they have long remained in the fyftems of naturalifts 

 confounded with the vegetable tribes. 



The amazing number of infeCls is another argument 

 of their imperfeftion. It is a rule which obtains among 

 the offspring of nature, that the nobler animals are fiow- 

 ly produced, and that, in forming thefe, Ihe a£ls with a 

 dignified economy ; while, in her meaner births, flie is 

 often laviih to profufion ; and thoufands of the more ig- 

 noble kinds are produced merely to fupply the neceflities 

 of the more favoured and delicately organized parts of 

 her creatures. Of all the other productions of nature, 

 we have feen that infeCls are the moll numerous : that, 

 however minute when taken individually, when taken 

 together they are probably more bulky than all the reft 



Vol. III. T t of 



f Id^ni; uLi fupra. 



