©F INSECTS IN GENERAL. 349 



3ect. VI. — Of the Hcihitation and Food of Life Bs^ and 

 their Vfes in the Economy of Nature, 



\r has been afferted by Ariflotle^ that every khid of qua* 

 druped and bird was inhabited by its peculiar infect * ; 

 and this aiTertion, which has never been contradided, 

 feems to admit of being much extended. We have al- 

 ready feen, in a former part of this work, that the fal- 

 men and cod were at certain feafons infefted with infects ; 

 the fame is probably the cafe with many other fpecies of 

 the finny tribe, whofe hiftory is lefs completely known. 

 Some particular animals afford food and refidence to dif- 

 ferent kinds of infefts ; and the fame is the cafe with 

 plants. As one animal is often feen to feed upon and 

 inhabit a great many different plants j fo the fame plant 

 often fupports a variety of infc6ls. The oak, in this 

 country, ?iiTords fuftenance to twenty different fpecies of 

 thefe animals ; and there are varieties of this tree in 

 warmer climates, that ferye for food to a far greatev 

 ^umber. 



Plants afford the molt general and copious pabulum for 

 this tribe of the animal kingdom. Wherever any infefl 

 is found indigenous in a country, there will always be 

 found in it plants accommodated to its wantSa There 

 are many infedts attached uniformly to one plant ; the 

 filk worm always gives a decided preference to the mulr 



berry, 



* Hiftoria Animalium, 



