342 OF INSECTS IN GENERAL', 



fully afcertained by the hiftory of the common domeflic 

 bee : all thofe which are einployed in collecting the ho- 

 ney, and condrutling the cells, and which conftitute by 

 far the greater part of the hive, are of the clafs of neu- 

 ters, to whom nature has denied the power of propagat- 

 ing their kind. It is only upon the drones, and one or 

 two females in each hive, that fhe has conferred the 

 fexual dlliinftion, and the powers of generation. 



Hitherto we have uniformly beheld animals either 

 male or female ; and the neuters of the order of hjme- 

 noptera v.'hich form the firft exception to the general 

 law of nature, appear not only an anomalous but a de- 

 feclive race. The hiftory of infefls exhibits another in- 

 llance of animals deviating from this rule, from a diffe- 

 rent caufe. All the animals belonging to that genus, 

 termed the aphjis puceron, appear to be hermaphredites of 

 the nnoft perfefi kind : A fingle animal of this tribe, 

 though kept in the moft careful manner from every other, 

 %v:ll propagate its kind by itfeU ; and if the offspring 

 thus produced be preferved, it will alfo breed. An in- 

 genioiis naluralifl. has u'ell afcertained this fact by expe- 

 riments, which he has repeated to the ninth generation*. 



This mode of generation, fo different from that eflxdl- 

 ed by the joint co-operation of the ftxes, naturaiiils have 

 afcribed to a different power, fomething refembling that 

 poirtfTed by the vegetable tribes : We have already, how- 

 ever, feen inftances of animals among whom fecundation 

 hy the male, impregnated the females for feveral gene- 

 rations. If that faft be well afcertained, it will explain 

 the pecuUiiiity of that tribe, without invcfting it with 

 powers fo different from all thofe poffeiTed by the reft of 

 the animal kingdom. 



InfeCls 

 • M. Boji.nef. 



