92 
INTRODUCTION’. 
composed of particles of earth or sand, agglutinated 
or held together by an intermixture of silk thi’eads. 
Such are a few of the structures of these minia- 
ture architects, and it is impossible to peruse even 
the most brief and imperfect accoxmt of them with- 
out being struck with the admirable skill and 
foresight which they manifest. Tlie almost unde- 
viating unifoimity of the cells of the hive-bee has 
been sometimes adduced as an argument against 
the intelligence of these industrious insects, their 
operations, being thought to be thereby assimilated 
to those of a piece of unconscious mechanism. But 
this objection, if it be one, does not apply to the 
creatures we have just been considering. There is 
always sufficient variety in the circumstances under 
which they work to require the exercise of con- 
siderable intelligence. They must discriminate and 
select, and adapt their plans to new contingencies 
which are eontinually occurring in the course of their 
proceedings. The facility u-ith which they do this 
has been often exemplified. We have already men- 
tioned a small larva which forms a moveable tent 
of the epidermis of a leaf, and which, to save the 
trouble of sewing up one of the sides, makes its 
excavation close to the edge, where it leaves the 
membrane entire to form one of the walls. "ViTiile the 
operation was going fonvard, Reaumur cut off with 
a pair of scissors the whole of the outer edge, and 
left it in a great measure open. Thus unexpectedly 
exposed and defeated in its object, the worm was 
