THE GREAT WATER-BEETLE. 
225 
venience, as long as it suits its inclination ; when weary 
of this place, or its food becoming scarce, it wings its 
way to another pool, into which it immediately plunges, 
and recommences its life of rapine. Having deposited 
its eggs in autumn, we suppose it to die in the winter ; 
yet many may survive this season, and, arising from the 
mud in the spring, be undistinguished from the recently 
perfected larvae. Such little notices and indications of 
the habits of these obscure creatures, though certainly 
unimportant, are not perhaps wholly unprofitable ; for 
we so darkly see our way, and proceed so slowly in ac- 
quiring intelligence of the paths of nature, that nothing 
should be considered as beneath regard that we meet 
with in them, and every advancing step must elevate 
the mind, as it affords additional knowledge of the 
solicitude and provision of the great Architect of crea- 
tion in the appointment and endowment of his crea- 
tures ; since, though we are very rarely able to compre- 
hend even the object of existence, we see sufficient to 
convince us, that such care and such powers were not 
bestowed except for some wise and good purpose. It 
seems hardly possible that mankind can ever obtain any- 
thing approaching to the comprehension of the motives 
of Providence, because they have not, as far as is ap- 
parent to us, individual and separate bearings, but are 
connecting and in concordance with a series of in- 
fluences, and consequently the whole should be seen, 
fitly to understand a part ; and this mighty mechanism 
what human mind can embrace ? Heaven metes out to 
man by degrees something of its laws and ordinances ; 
but no life, no period, can exhaust that store of hidden 
| wisdom, by which these mandates have been decreed*, 
every little transitory view that we obtain should be 
received with gratitude as an advance in knowledge, a 
progress in the wisdom of Him who hath ordained all 
things in truth. 
The eye of the naturalist, prying about in places 
where those of indifferent persons are rarely fixed, sees 
many things, that others do not notice, or observe with- 
out interest, from forming no connexion with any pre- 
vious subject of pursuit. Few perhaps would stay to 
