THE BEE. 159 



found to be the characteristic attribute of our race, 

 upon the moral and intellectual benefits to be derived 

 from the contemplation of such creatures as this Earth- 

 worm, Fly, and Honey-Bee, to whose nature we have 

 devoted a few descriptive pages, as well as from the 

 review of the mental attributes of animals, including 

 those of our own race, which has necessarily formed 

 a portion of our subject. 



If you permit your thoughts to travel back to the 

 commencement of the first of these little treatises, 

 you will recollect that the object with which we set 

 out was, if possible, to show how the humblest and 

 most commonplace of Nature's forms are deserving of 

 our careful attention, not only from their iatrinsic 

 value as works of the Creator, but as affording useful 

 lessons in the education of our minds. That we have 

 not been able fully to accomplish this object through 

 the printed pages of a book may be easily understood ; 

 but the imperfection of the artificial means employed 

 must by no means be regarded as a proof that the 

 consideration of the living forms themselves would be 

 alike insufficient for the attaimnent of the desired end. 



Not only will the careful investigation of those 

 creatures be far more agreeable and more conducive 

 to the formation of a well-ordered mind than the mere 

 perusal of a descriptive text-book, but it cannot fail to 

 lead to discoveries on the part of the student that will 

 entitle him to rank amongst the pioneers of know- 

 ledge. "We shall, however, proceed to employ the 

 means at our disposal, and to ascertain what results 



