306 THE LOG OF THE SUN 



sloth-like creatures that they uprooted the trees 

 bodily, in order to feed on their succulent leaves, 

 sometimes bending their trunks down until their 

 branches were within reach. 



On a walk through the woods and fields to-day, 

 how seldom do we find a dead insect ! "When sick 

 and dying, nine out of ten are snapped up by frog, 

 lizard, or bird ; the few which die a natural death 

 seeming to disintegrate into mould within a very 

 short space of time. There is, however, one way 

 in which, through the long, long thousands of cen- 

 turies, insects have been preserved. The spicy 

 resin which flowed from the ancient pines 

 attracted hosts of insects, which, tempted by their 

 hope of food, met their death — caught and slowly 

 but surely enclosed by the viscid sap, each antenna 

 and hair as perfect as when the insect was alive. 

 Thus, in this strangely fortunate way, we may 

 know and study the insects which, millions of 

 years ago, fed on the flowers or bored into the 

 bark of trees. We have found no way to improve 

 on Nature in this respect, for to-day when we 

 desire to mount a specimen permanently for 

 microscopical work, we imbed it in Canada 

 balsam. 



If suddenly the earth should be bereft of all 

 trees, there would indeed be consternation and 

 despair among many classes of animals. Although 

 in the sea there are thousands of creatures, 

 which, by their manner of life, are prohibited 



