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draw them close to the body! What extraordinary strength in the breast-bones and muscles, that the bird may cut the air with more rapidity! What incomparable art in the formation of the tail, to make it in some measure serve as a rudder to direct the flight, and help the bird to ascend and descend in the air, and prevent the unsteadi. ness of the body and wings! In some birds the claws are large, and furnished with membranes that extend and contract for the purpose of swimming: in others they are sharp, and bent down at the point, that they may walk the firmer, perch, seize, and hold their prey. In some the legs are long, that they may walk into and rake their food out of the water and marshes: in others they are shorter; and in all are adapted to their way of living, and whatever they require.

Who is there that will not in this acknowledge the supreme intelligence of our Creator and Be nefactor? Is it possible that things so wonderful, so regular, so admirably proportioned, should be the work of a blind chance? Could any one be persuaded that such a multitude of veins, muscles, joints, &c. should be put in motion in each animal without design? and that all the parts, even the smallest, should be connected with each other, and perform their different offices with such per. fect harmony and regularity? Ought it not rather to lead us to think of the Creator of all things, whose wisdom and goodness hath placed so many creatures exactly in the circumstances most suitable to them? Let us, then, make use of all these objects to glorify our Creator; and let us seek true wisdom, by endeavouring to be more and more acquainted with this great Being, who has so gloriously shewn himself in all the creatures formed by his hand.

JUNE XVI.

The Dew.

THE wise Ruler of the world, who watches continually over his children, and provides for all their wants, makes use of more than one means to render the earth fruitful. Sometimes it is by inundation: It is true, that when these lay countries waste, the farmer, who only thinks of the present, gives way to ungrateful mur. murs; but, in the end, if their happy consequences for the general good are properly considered, it must be allowed they are very beneficial. Sometimes it is by a river, which, like the Egyptian Nile, has the singular property of overflowing its banks at certain marked periods, to water a country where it never rains. Sometimes it is by rains, which fall more or less frequently, in order to cool the air, and water the parched ground. But the most common means, the surest, and most universal, and that which men the least attend to, and are least sensible of its value, is the dew. This inestimable gift of Heaven, which even in years of the greatest drought, supports and preserves the plants from perishing, is those sparkling drops seen in such profusion, morning and evening, on the leaves of trees and plants. The dew does not fall from above, as was formerly imagined; it does not descend from the highest parts of our atmosphere; and still less is it the sweat of the stars, as superstition had supposed. This pretended celestial origin has probably given rise to the folly of some alchymists, who hoped to convert dew into gold. It is now generally allowed, that the dew is nothing but the sweat of the plants, and the moisture they draw from the earth. In order to be convinced of this,

one need only cover a plant with a glass bell, and it will appear, that the leaves collect in the night a greater quantity of dew drops than the leaves. of the other plants which are exposed to the air. This certainly would not be the case, if the dew fell from above, and if it did not rise from the ground. Nothing is more easy, either, than to comprehend how it is formed; for nobody is ig norant that the rays of the sun and the heat which is cast on the earth, continually loosen a multitude of thin particles from off every thing; some of which rise into the atmosphere, and the rest collect in the form of drops of water. This account of the dew explains it to us, how it happens that it is sometimes hurtful, and sometimes. not so. Its nature evidently depends on the qua lity of the vapours of which it is composed. The wind carries away the light exhalations as soon as they are formed, and prevents them from falling in drops. This is the reason that there is most dew when the air is very calm. By this wise plan of the Creator, the plants can vegetate and grow in countries even where there is no rain; for the soil of those parts being sandy, porous, and very moist underneath, the heat draws out a great quantity of dew, which supplies the place of rain.

Those different methods which Providence makes use of to moisten and fertilize the earth, ought to remind us of those he employs to improve the barren heart of man, and to make it fertile in good works. Chastisement, more or less severe, blessings of every kind, exhortations, warnings given us from the example of others, and a thousand such means, are made use of by our gracious God, to lead us to himself, to sanctify us, and to induce us to bring forth the fruits of righteousness. Sometimes in the natural world there comes a storm of rain from the clouds, which deluges the country, drags every thing along with

At

it, and makes the rivers overflow their banks. other times, God calls the soft dew from the earth, and thus, in a manner secretly, grants the wishes of the farmer for rain. It is thus in grace he also makes use of different means to arrive at the merciful end he proposes. How many hardened hearts oblige him to speak in thunder and lightning, as formerly on Mount Sinai! Less terrible means are employed to save and affect others; with a gentle, mild, and persuasive voice, God calls them to himself: He awakens their consciences, and refreshes their souls with the beneficent dew of his grace. Let this conduct of our heavenly Father serve as a model for ours. Let us employ all sort of means to reclaim our fellow-creature, to make him better; but let us particularly endeavour, from the example of God, to gain Him rather by kindness than by punishment. Let us imitate the beneficence of the Lord: We see how he refreshes the parched earth with dew, he revives and gives new life to the plants. Let us consider how many of our fellow-creatures are in distress, and languishing for want. Let them not languish in vain. Let us endeavour to revive their hearts with benefits, and to pour as many blessings on our fellow-creatures as the dew sheds upon the plants.

JUNE XVII.

Life and Labours of the Bee.

IN the fine days of the present season, in this time of cheerfulness and joy, every thing is in motion, every thing throughout the animal world is full of life and activity; but there are no creatures so active as the little republic of bees. At least, of all the insects round us, there are none we can better learn to be acquainted with, or

The bees

which can afford a more pleasing scene. assemble in great numbers, either in hollow trees and cavities, or in a sort of baskets, called hives, where they are collected by the art of man. They disperse on all sides, and, by means of their trunk, they gather honey and wax from the stamina and juice of the flowers. When their harvest is made, they convey it into their storehouse, which they fill from top to bottom with cells in form of hexagons. They inhabit some of these cells; others are designed to receive the eggs, and to lodge their young; and the rest serve as magazines to deposit their winter's provision of honey in. Amongst these bees, which form altogether but one family, there is one larger than any other, which is a female, and therefore called their queen. To her alone all the young bees born in a hive owe their birth. From the eggs she laid in the cells, there come out worms, which the working bees feed with their trunk. Afterwards this worm remains near fifteen days, to all appearance dead, in its cell, which is enclosed with a little wax lid. In this inanimate state it is called nympha. When its time is accomplished, it opens its tomb, and comes out in the form of a young bee. Besides the queen, there are in each hive two sorts of bees, the drone, and the working bee. The former are males: They impregnate the queen, and serve her as a guard. The bees have two horns on their heads, which guard their eyes, and warn them of dan gers. They have fangs or claws they make use of in their work, and a trunk or hollow tube, which they can draw in and out of its case as they please. This instrument, supple and moveable in every way, reaches to the very bottom of the cup of the flowers, where they gather their honey, and passes through the case into the bag of honey placed within their bodies, from whence the honey is af terwards poured into the cells of the storehouse. The bees have six feet: With the two first, and

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