704 ON THE STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
progress in attainments to which according to our limited ide?is 
bounds can scarcely be assigned. When the anatomist considers 
how many muscles must be put in motion, before a«y animal exi^rr 
lion can be effected: when he views them one by ope, and tri^g,tp 
ascertain the precise degree to wloiph each individual muscle nwist 
be constricted, or relaxed, before the particular motion which is in- 
dicated can be effected, he finds himself bev\ildered in the labyrinth 
Qf,vcal)Qulations in which this involves him. HSei,i$, still |:p»<pji:§.>.Q9Bl.T 
founded when he reflects, that it is not the human body only, that is 
endowed with the faculty of calling forth these incomjirehensible 
energies, but that the most insignificant insect is vested with similar 
powers. A skilful naturalist has been able to ascertain, that in the 
body of the minutest caterpillar, there are upwards of two thousand 
muscles, all of which can be brought into action with as much facili- 
ty, at the will of that insect, and, perfprin theii;,geyerai offices with as 
inuf}ljij?^c4uracy>;]picoB(ip|itudferan^f j)t^{jisi(^>, > ^)tll^lt,;wi>t]h ,^hich the 
similar voluntary actions of man are effected. The most minute in- 
sect, whose whole life consists of but a few days, is in all its parts as 
perfect as the elephant that treads. ,tilie forest of India fpr a century. 
Unlike the prodnctions of men, all the minute parts of the works of 
God a])pear in greater perfection, and excite in us greater admira- 
tion, the more minutely and more accurately they are examined. If 
we turn our attention from the consideration of the complicated 
stiHicture of animal bodies, and direct our observations to the econO' 
my by which the all-wise Creator regulates their existence, we have 
then abundant cause for admiration. We see that all the smaller 
creatures which serve as food for maa, are particularly fruitful, and 
that they increase in a much greater proportion than others. Noxi- 
ous animals in general multiply slowly, and whenever we find an 
unusual increase of such, we generally discover that something has 
been given by providence for the purpose of destroying, and coun- 
terbalancing them. Many species devour each other, and multitudes 
which might otherwise by their number become of serious injury 1,0 
mankind, affoi-d food for other creatures. The insect tribe increase 
with astonishing rapidity, and were these not destroyed by innumer- 
able enemies, they would soon fill the air, and in the end would oc- 
casion the destruction of the whole animal and vegetable creation. 
The ojfspring of every animal with regard to number, bears a certain 
proportion to the duration of its life. The elephant lives to the age 
of an hundred years or upwards, the female consequently produces 
but a single young one at a birth, and that does not arrive at maturity 
till it is sixteen or eighteen years old. Nearly the same may be re- 
