• ; INS 
firfl animals which prefent themfelves are thofe that 
are defcirute of wings, and appear crawling about 
on every plant, and every fpot of earth examined 
with any degree of attention. Some of thefe ne- 
ver acquire wings at any period of their exiftence, 
but are deftined to creep on the vegetables or fpots 
of earth v»'here they are ftationed for their whole 
iives: on the contrary, others are candidates for a 
happier exifbencej and only wait for their nafcent 
wings, Vv'hen they may be faid to arrive at their 
-moft perfefl ftate. Thofe which are never fur- 
■niihed with wings, but creep about till they die, 
111 ay properly be confidered as conftituting the firft 
clafs of infecSts: all thefe (the flea and the wood- 
loufe excepted) are produced from eggs; and, 
%vhen once they break the Ihells, never experience 
any farther change, but continue increafing in fize 
till the expiration of their lives. Thus the loufe 
and the fpider are produced from an egg; and, af- 
ter exclufion, do not undergo any farther altera- 
tion, but, like the chicken or the duck, remain in- 
variably the fame from their birth to their diffo- 
lution. 
The fecond order of Infe6ts is compofed of 
fuch as have wings; but which, when produced 
from the eggs, have thofe wings fo cafed up as to 
be concealed: this covering up of the wings does 
not prevent the creatures from running, leaping, 
and moving, with their natural celerity; but, when 
the cafes burft, and the wings have the power of 
expanfion, all the motions of the animals be- 
come more extenfive, and they arrive at full per- 
fecftion. In this manner the dragon-fly, the graf- 
hopper, and the earwig, have their wings at firfl: 
confined; but, when the fldns burfl:,they are imme- 
diately expanded, and the animals purfue the pur- 
pofes for v/hich they were produced. 
The moth and the butterfly kind, which may 
be confidered as the third order of Infefls, have 
all four wings, each covered with a mealy fubftance 
of various colours, which is eafily rubbed off^; 
and, if examined by the microfcope, will appear 
like fcales, with which the v/ings are elegantly 
embroidered. Thefe Infefts alfo are produced in 
a manner peculiar to thernfelves : each of them is 
jfirft hatched from an egg, from whence ifllies a ca- 
terpillar that often flieds it's fl-nn; and, after hav- 
ing divefbed itfelf, for the lafl: time, of it's exuvi^, 
affumes a new covering, called a chryfalis, in which 
it continues hid till it comes forth in it's winged 
ftate. 
The fourth order of Inre6ls proceeds from thofe 
which, though winged, originate from worms, and 
not from caterpillars; yet undergo changes fimilar 
to thofe of the butterfly tribe. Each is firft ex- 
cluded from the egg like a v/orm, and then be- 
comes a chryfilis. In fome, the wings and legs 
are feen; in others, the anim.als are quite detached 
from the cones in which they are concealed: but 
all at length burfl: their prifons, and conrie forth 
perfeft; fome furnifned with two, and others with 
four wings. The wings of all thefe difl^er from 
the butterfly and mjoth kind, in being deftitute of 
mealy fcales. In tli'js clafs may be ranked the 
numerous tribes of gnats, beetles, flies, and bees. 
To the four orders of Infefts already enumerated, 
may be added a fifth, confifting of a numerous 
tribe of m.odern difcovery, to which naturalifts 
have applied the name of Zoophytes, For the pro- 
duftion of thefe, tlie ordinary forms of generation 
are unnecefTary ; they mzj be propagated by dif- 
•£'dion: fome of ih^m, though cut into a hundred 
INS 
parts', 'Will ftill retain the vital principle in each]; 
and every individual part will in a Ihort time pro- 
duce a perfedl animal. Thefe indeed appear to be 
a fet of exiftences placed between animals and ve- 
getables, and formed to conneft animated and in- 
fenfible nature: to this clafs belong the polypus^ 
the earth-worm, and all the varieties of the fea- 
nettle. 
Having exhibited a general diftribution of In- 
fers, we lhall next enquire into fome of the mioft 
diftinguifhing charadters and qualities of the whole 
race. 
Some Infedts attradl our notice by the beauty of 
their colourings : butterflies, cantharides, and all the 
fnining flies, exhibit fufiicient proofs that Nature 
has not been fparing in her embellifhments on this 
tribe of beings. The fime wifdom which has ren- 
dered fome Infedls beautiful, has alfo given others 
a fufficient fliare of ftrength and armour for their 
neceflfary defence, or for the means of procuring 
their food : though they do not always catch what 
they lie in wait for, or avoid v/hat is noxious, 
they are all provided with what is moft eflTentially 
adapted for thofe purpoles. The common leech 
is furniflied with llrong teeth; the wafp and the 
bee have powerful filings; and fome fnails are pro- 
vided with fuch fiirong fhells, that they are de- 
fended from external injuries, at the fime time that 
their locomotive powers are not abridged. The 
moft delicate InfeCls, fuch as caterpillars, are fur- 
nifhed with hairs, which ferve to break the force 
of the fhocks they are liable to receive, as well as 
to weaken the blows that might otherwife injure 
them. The generality of Infefts are quick in 
flight to avoid impending danger ; fome by the af-- 
fittance of their wings; and others by means of 
threads, which they can throw out, and hang by 
till the danger is paft: others again, like the graf- 
hopper, are enabled to leap to a very confiderable 
diftance. And thus all, however minute, have 
fome means by which they confult their ovv'n pre- 
fervation. 
Nor is our admiration lefs excited by a review 
of the various organs by which fome animals are' 
aflifted to live, and the inftruments they ufe, ac- 
cording to their various profeflions. The filk- worni 
is excellently formed for fpinning, having twodif- 
tafls, and fingers to draw out the thread; the fpidef 
can fabricate nets and webs, and is therefore pro- 
vided by nature v/ith implements for that purpofej 
the wafp, by means of two fmall faws which Ipring 
from the angles of the m.outh on each fide, procures 
v/hat materials are aeceffary for the confiiruftion of 
it's cell; while bees are furnifhed with a variety of 
weapons indifpenfably neceJsry in the formation 
of their combs and the collection of their honey: 
the trunk of the bee, indeed, is more wonderful 
than that of the elephant ; th^ latter is only adapted 
to the private convenience of the animal; but the 
trunk of the bee is fitted for extradling honied bal- 
fam even from herbs of the moft deleterious na- 
ture. 
The ftrufture of the eye in Infedts is remarkably 
different from that of other creatures in a variety of 
refpefts: it is defended by it's own rigidity againffc 
external injuries; and it's cornea is all over di- 
vided into lenticular facets, which, viewed by the 
help of the microfcope, appear like a beautiful 
piece of lattice- v?-ork ; each opening in it being of 
fuch a nature, that, when looked through, objects 
appear inverted. This mechanifrn alone fupplies 
the place of the cryftaliine humour, which is ne- 
ver 
