S i 8 o£ insects in generae. 
gnats, on the other hand, go into water, where they re- 
main till the period of their winged date arrives.. Some 
eht their way into feeds and fruits, where they undergo 
the different changes previous to their appearance on 
Wing. Many lodge themfelves in animal bodies on the’ 
approach of their transformation ; feveral of the aquatic 
tribes bury themfelves among fand, encrufted with a 
glutinous fubftance ; while the numerous race of phalense 
wrap themfelves up in the leaves of trees, the bombyces, 
or larger kinds, conftituting for themfelves a filken web, 
to protect them during that trying viciffitude of their 
lives. 
In general, all infedts provide for their fecuritv before 
their helplefs flate arrive, by retiring from their ufual 
haunts into fome fheltered retreat. It is thus that the 
worm of the butterfly provides for its fafety, by betak- 
ing itfeif, while it has yet the power of motion, to the 
hole of a wall, or the eave of a houle ; There fome are 
fufpended by a thread, which nature aflills them in pro- 
viding ; fome hang by the head, others by the oppofite 
extremity, and many by the middle. The cruftaceous 
covering with which they are then clothed, affords ano- 
ther inffance of the attention paid by nature to the pre- 
fervation of her offspring, during a period when they are 
not able to avoid external injury by flight. Thus pro- 
tected by the munificence of providence, myriads of ani- 
mals fink annually into a flate of torpor fo profound as 
appears to threaten the extinction of every vital power. 
At tiie return of Spring, however, all nature feems again 
to quicken into life ; her fervants awaken from their tor- 
pid flate, and enter upon their functions with enlarged 
powers. 
