A PREFACE AND AN APOLOGY. u 
in doing the fame. I was alone in the room fitting before 
an opened window, my whole attention occupied in 
writing, when the dragon-fly once more made his appear¬ 
ance, this time planting himfelf unceremonioufly on the 
table alongflde of my manufcript. I was both delighted 
and furprifed, not to fay a good deal Jlruck. A large 
bell-fhaped glafs being near at hand, I placed it over the 
creature as quickly as poflible, but I might feemingly have 
been as deliberate as I liked, for the fly fhowed not the 
flighted: inclination to ftir. Doubters will fay, £< Oh, the 
poor creature was ftill becaufe it was tired . Very likely 
it had juft flown from a long diflance.” Very likely, for 
it looked exa&ly like the little fellow releafed by me from 
the fpider’s web 140 miles away two days before! Yes, 
it was mod likely “ tired.” But mind ! I don’t fay it was 
the fame fly ! My readers may fay or think anything they 
pleafe; my buflnefs is to relate occurrences truthfully and 
date faEls , and I will relate truthfully the occurrences that 
now took place. The fly, remember, is now under the 
bell-glafs, and, addrefling it as if fpeaking to an intelligent 
being, the following took place:—(To the fly) “ My 
little friend, what has brought you here ? Have you 
come to fhow me fomething about flying? Well, how is 
it done ? What is the fecret ? Let me fee you fly ! ” 
And the creature, until now quite dill, at my bidding 
was up indantly in the air within the bell-glafs, flitting 
about in all dire&ions, and fo continued until I faid to it, 
