«F INSECTS IN GENERAL. 
33® 
of her animated offspring. The plants and vegetables 
which cover the furface of the earth, and which at firft 
fight appear fo far to outnumber the other productions 
of nature, upon a clofer inveftigation, are found far in- 
ferior in number and variety to the infefts which fwarm 
in the wider range of the air, the earth, and the water. 
From thefe confiderations, we are induced to believe, 
that the degree of intelligence allotted to this clafs of the 
animal kingdom is but very fmall ; and our experience, 
as far as it goes, coincides with this opinion. While 
other animals are capable of fome degree of education, 
thefe have one invariable mode of operating, which no 
art can either alter or improve. The dog is taught to 
parry; the bird to whittle a tuue ; but thofe infects 
which may be cor.fidered as completely domefticated, can 
by no invention be turned from their in flinch The fiik 
worm completes its labours, and the fpider conftrufts its 
web, invariably in the fame manner : An exiftence which 
continues but a fingle feafon, feems too fhort for the pur- 
pofes of infltuiSion, or of learning. Hence the infefts 
are not only of a rank inferior to the other animals, but 
2T i any of them feem more nearly allied to the vegetables 
than to the clafles above them. Many are attached to 
one vegetable, fome to a fingle leaf, where the period of 
their lives is completed in a few weeks, or perhaps a 
few days, and where the pleafures they enjoyed, or the 
purpofes for which they were produced, are in a great 
meaiure beyond the reach of our faculties to explore. 
The external fenfes of infefts, as far as we are enabled 
to judge of them, correfpond with the low meafure of 
fagacity which the Author of nature has affigned them: 
Of fome of them they feem altogether deftitute, while 
others are enjoyed hut in an imperfeft manner. It has 
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