32 PLATE CXX. 



race is the great end of their being, and the mod aftoniihing effort of 

 their ingenuity and care is employed to perfed this grand defign. We 

 not only find innumerable eggs, and larvae of Infed on all kinds of 

 plants; in all {landing waters ; and in animal matter, when putrid? 

 but many which can only be hatched from the egg by the warmth of 

 living animals; thus the Tabanus pierces the thick hide of the Cow, 

 and plunges its eggs into the flefti ; the heat and raoifture of which 

 nourifties both in the egg, and larva ; the Hippobofca equina pro- 

 trudes its eggs into the reftum of Horfes ; and the Ichneumon into 

 living Caterpillars : to thofe we could add many remarkable inftances 

 of Infects, who have fhewn a lower fpecies of perception, by depofit- 

 jng their eggs in places where the larvae would find abundance of 

 proper food ; and with fuch ingenious contrivances for their fafety in a 

 defencelefs ftate, as we could only expeft from the fagacity of larger 

 animals; but it is only our intention to premife with thofe general re- 

 marks, left the fubjedl we have chofen for our prefent Plate fhould be 

 confidered as a folitary example of fuch ingenuity, and care towards 

 their future offspring. 



The Natural Hiftory of the Common Bee has been both fully and 

 ably treated of, by Scbirach, Maraldi^ Reaumur^ Debraw^ and other 

 authors of refpe£tability, and may be fuppofed to be pretty generally 

 known by thofe converfant in rural affairs ; the manners, however, of 

 other fpecies of the fame genus has neither been fo fully explained, 

 nor examined ; they yet prefent a fund for the enquiries of the Na» 

 turalift, equally worthy his attention ; though lefs beneficial j as the 

 honey they make cannot be converted to our ufe. 



Among the folitary Bees, fome penetrate into the earth, fcoop ®ut 

 hollow cavities ; then polim the fides within, and depofit their eggs, 

 with proper food for the larvae, till it becomes a Pupa. Others form 

 nefts of loofe fand, which they glue together with a ftrong cement ; 

 thofe nefts are generally formed againft walls that are expofed to the 

 fouth ; without, they are rude and irregular, but within are very neatly 

 finifhed, and divided into feveral cells or apartments, in each of which 

 the Parent Bee lodges an egg. Of our prefent, and a few other fpecies, 

 we may fay, 



6 q \a 



