Microscopical Essays. 269 



caution unknown in any other fpecies of animals. The hiftory 

 of bees and wafps, and their care and attention to their offspring - 

 is fo well known, that I may with propriety pafs it over here, and 

 proceed juft to notice the induftrious ant, whofe paternal affeclion 

 and care is not fo well known. They are not fatisfied with pla- 

 cing their eggs in fituations made on purpofe, and to raife or rear 

 them till they come to their nymph or pupa ftate ; but they even 

 extend their care to the pupa, removing them from their neft to 

 the furface of the earth, whenever the weather is fine, that they 

 may receive the benignant influence of the fun, carrying them 

 back again as foon as the air begins to grow cold. If any acci- 

 dent difturbs their neft, and difperfes the pupas, they manifeft 

 the greateft figns of diftrefs, feeking the loft and fcattered pupas, 

 placing them in fome fheltered place while they repair the neft, 

 when they again tranfport them to it. * Many other curious par- 

 ticulars might be related relative to this induftrious infecl, as 

 their uniting together in fcooping out earth, and tranfporting the 

 materials for the conftruclion of their nefts, and the curious 

 ftruclure of the neft itfelf, which, though it appears piled up at 

 random, will be found, on ftrifter examination, to be a work of 

 art and defign, with other circumftances which are too long to be 

 enumerated here. 



The perception by which infecls are actuated, fo as to feeure 

 in the molt wonderful manner their offspring/ merits the moft 

 attentive confideration, and ftrongly marks the regular proceed- 

 ings of Divine Providence : they do not depofit them at random, 

 but place them in fituations agreeable to their nature, and in 

 places where they will meet with fuch fup plies of nouriftiment, as 



* will 



* Leffers Theologie des Infe&es, torn, i, p. 143- 



