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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



my own chamber. I believe this insect is 

 unknown in our country. Should I have an 

 erroneous impression in this matter, I shall be 

 thankful to any of your readers to set me right ; 

 and at the same time to state in what locality in 

 this country it has been taken. It is generally 

 found in hollowed-out banks of sand, and 

 sandy gravel, especially among the spreading 

 roots of old trees; generally facing the south, 

 and much protected from the rain by the over- 

 spreading roots, turf, hits of sandy rock, &c. &c. 

 Well, here you must look for the Fourmilion. 

 He is a queer-shaped beast, Mr. Editor; but to 

 know that, you must first secure him. He lies 

 at the bottom of his cell, as wary as possible; 

 yet, do but catch a view of his pincers, and make 

 a sudden plunge, and he is your prisoner. 



The Fourmilion is of a shape inclining to an oval ; 

 very much dilated in front, and sharply nar- 

 rowed behind. Also singularly flattened above, 

 with a few tufts of short, strong hair, along the 

 sides and on the back; of an earth color all 

 over; with a very little head, which has the 

 power of moving in almost any direction with 

 great facility. Then he has a pair of pincers 

 that would do honor to a Calosoma Sycophanta. 

 Please to observe, Mr. Editor, I am not going to 

 give any minute description , either of the larva 

 or the perfect insect. It would alone fill up com- 

 pletely a whole Number of Our Journal. 

 Still I must trace a certain portrait of my 

 friend. 



From the peculiar construction of his legs, the 

 Fourmilion walks slowly; and (in most species) 

 backwards. They cannot therefore hunt their 

 prey, and consequently have recourse to cunning 

 and stratagem. I brought home a quantity of 

 them. I put them in a box, some three feet and- 

 a-half long by about eight inches wide. When 

 my gentleman began to make his nest (a sort of 

 funnel) in the sand, he started backwards and 

 made his round. As he proceeded, by a peculiar 

 movement of his hinder claw the sand was sho- 

 velled on his head, and by a jerk of the head, it 

 was thrown to a considerable distance. He gene- 

 rally keeps on working, till he has quite com- 

 pleted his funnel-shaped trap, which is com- 

 monly from 2 inches and a quarter to 2 inches 

 and a half in diameter at top ; and from 1 inch 

 and a quarter to 1 inch and a half deep. He then 

 conceals himself — quite at the bottom; leaving 

 nothing but the two dreadful jaws — always ex- 

 panded. Woe be to the poor wretch that falls in ! 

 it is all over with him, Mr. Editor. " No go'' — 

 or " all go." Once between those vice-like fangs, 

 get away — if you can, and how you can. It does 

 not follow absolutely, that every insect falling 

 into these cunningly-made pits must be settled. 

 I have seen flies thrown in and escape; but woe 

 be to the poor ant or spider, or any insect not 

 blessed with wings! If he should escape, the 

 first time, the formidable jaw of his enemy — the 

 latter, with wonderful dexterity and unerring 

 aim, throws up with his singularly-constructed 

 head such quantities of sand, and with such 

 velocity, that the insect, whatever it may be, 

 cannot withstand it, and escape. Down he falls, a 

 prey to the voracious Lion, who sucks him as 

 clean as a whistle; and not liking to have his 

 home encumbered with the carcases of the dead, 



with the accustomed jerk of the head, throws the 

 remains quite at a distance from his funnel. He 

 then returns to his place of curious concealment. 

 If by the endeavor of his prey to escape, or from 

 any other accidental cause, his funnel should be 

 injured, he walks out and constructs a new one; 

 and you may always trace his whereabouts by 

 the singular path he leaves. 



These creatures are for the most part in full size 

 in July and August ; and make their chrysalis 

 with the sand and a kind of gummy silk. It is 

 quite round; about the size of a little marble, 

 only rough. The perfect insect appears in the 

 beginning of September, and partakes much of 

 the character and habits- of the Libelhdce, but is 

 neither so powerful, so voracious, nor so beauti- 

 ful. But my object now, is not to describe either 

 one or the other; simply to draw attention to the 

 very singular habits of the larva of the Fourmi- 

 lion. 



Can any person, Mr. Editor, watch this singu- 

 lar insect, and not exclaim — " Almighty God! 

 wonderful art thou in all thy works! even this 

 small insect glorifies thee ! " 



Tottenham, Sept. 26, Bombyx Atlas. 



PHEENOLOGY FOR THE MILLION. 



No. XXIII. PHYSIOLOGY OF THE BRAIN. 



BY F. J. GALL, M.T>. 



(Continued from, page 197.) 



We come now to the important considera- 

 tion — 



Of the Functions of the Senses in general. 



The impressions, whether they come from the 

 external world through the senses, or from the 

 internal by the general organs of sensations, 

 must, then, be considered as indispensable con- 

 ditions, without which no perception and no 

 thought can take place. But, no impression from 

 without, no irritation from within, can become a 

 sensation or an idea, without the concurrence of 

 the brain. The faculty of perceiving impres- 

 sions, of retaining and comparing ideas, and 

 making application of them, is by no means in 

 proportion to the senses either in men or animals, 

 as is proved by the example of idiots and sim- 

 pletons. Thus, could we even have it demon- 

 strated, that man, of all animals, has the most 

 perfect senses, we should not thus obtain the 

 explanation of his surpassing all others in intel- 

 lectual faculties. Accordingly Condillac has 

 been obliged to say, " that the senses do not 

 suffice to obtain a knowledge of nature ; for the 

 same senses are common to us all, yet we have 

 not all the same knowledge." 



The author of the treatise on the senses is, 

 therefore, wrong in saying " all the senses have, 

 likewise, produced the arts to satisfy, to perfect, 

 and to guard themselves from painful j impres- 

 sions. What arts has not the sense of touch pro- 

 duced ? These dresses, these palaces, these con- 

 venient carriages, are all the creations of its 

 delicacy." 



We shall oppose to him an observation of 

 Helvetius, much more judicious. " Experience," 

 says he, " does not show that the mind is always 

 proportionate to the greater or less delicacy of 



