424 THE PHILOSOPHY 



ment, and condmd commodious and artful habitations for the whole 

 community. 1 hate polemical argumentation; and philofophical ab- 

 furdities are the mofl difficult to refute. If ten thoufand butterflies, 

 or any other flies, whofe infl:inclive or mental powers differed from 

 thofe of the bee, ftiould be brought forth at the fame time, and in 

 the fame place, which might be eafily effected by colledting their 

 chryfalids, Would thefe animals, from the inconveniencies or pain 

 they might fuffer by being crouded together, aflume a proper ar- 

 rangement, and build habitations fuited to their mutual comfort and 

 prefervation? No. If not allowed to efcape from their prefent fitu- 

 ation, they would fuffocate each other ; and, if any of them were 

 permitted to get out of their prifon, inftead of returning, like the 

 bees, they would avoid it with as much horror as a perfon who had 

 made his efcape from the Black Hole of Calcutta. No declamatory 

 reafoning, however fpecious, will ever change the nature of truth. 

 Without fome portion of Intelledl, or what is fynonimous, of mental 

 powers, How fhould the different kinds of bees in the fame hive be 

 induced to perform fo many different operations ? While fome are 

 bufily employed at home in the conftrudion of cells, others are 

 equally induftrious in the fields colledling materials for carrying on 

 the work. They are no fooner relieved from their load by their 

 companions and fellow-labourers in the hive, than they again repair 

 to the fields, and, with perfevering induftry, fly from flower to flow- 

 er till they have amafl"ed another load of materials, which they im- 

 mediately tranfport to the hive. In this laborious office they perfifl: 

 for many hours every day when the weather permits. Will any 

 man pretend to affert, that thefe, and many fimilar operations per- 

 forn>ed by bees, arc the refults of mechanical impulfes * ? Are bees, 

 when colleding honey, and the farina of flowers, at great diftances 



from 



* For feveral curious operations of bees, whicli it will be difficult to reconcile 

 with any principles of mechanifm, the reader may confult page 336, &c. 



