ffspring, that run to the water as soon as they come ut of the shell, nor can their pretended mother preent them by her repeated calls. She stands upon the rink in astonishment at their rashness, and still more t the success of it. She finds herself violently tempted follow them, and warmly expresses her impatience, ut nothing is capable of carrying her to an indiscreon, which God has prohibited. The spectators are urprised at it, more or less in proportion to their unerstanding; for it is from the want of light and unerstanding, that such prodigies excite so little admiation. But it is rare that the spectators learn from his example, that it is necessary to be destined by rovidence to discharge the functions of a dangerous tate, and to receive from it all that is requisite for -ur security; and that it is a fatal rashness for others o venture upon it, who have neither the same vocaion nor the same talents.

I should never have done, should I undertake to onsider many miracles of a like nature with those I ave related. I shall content myself with one obseration more, which takes in several others, and relates o birds of passage.

They have all their alloted times, which they do ot exceed; but this time is not the same for every pecies; some wait for the winter, others the spring; ome the summer, and others the autumn. There is mongst every sort a public and general rule of goernment, which guides and retains every single bird n its duty. Before the general edict, there is none hinks of departing. After its publication, there is no one tarries behind. A kind of council fixes the lay, and grants a certain time to prepare for it, after which they all take their flight; and so exact is their

discipline that the next day there is not a stressler or

deserter to be found. Many people know no oth bird but the swallow that acts thus, but it is certa that many other species do the same. Now I a though we had but the single instance of the swallo what news have they received from the countries w ther they go in great companies, to be assured ti they shall find all things there prepared for their ception? I ask, why they do not keep like other bi to the country where they have brought up th young, which have been so kindly treated in it? what disposition to travel does this new brood, wh knows no other than its native country, conspire all once to quit it? In what language is the ordinar published, which forbids all, both old and new s jects of the republic, to tarry beyond a certain da And lastly, by what signs do the principal magistra know, that they should run an extreme hazard in posing themselves to be prevented by a rigorous s son? What other answer can be given to these qu tions than that of the prophet, [t] O Lord, how ma fold are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made th all!

Land Animals.

I am obliged to abridge this subject, to put an e to this small treatise, which has insensibly grown v long.

The single instance of the dog, shews us how ca ble God is of giving matter all the outward appe ances of understanding, fidelity, friendship, and g titude, without the principle of them. As this exa ple is known to all the world, I shall not dwell upor

The actions of the bee are no less admirable. stead of contenting itself with sucking the hom which is better preserved in the cups of flowers t any ywhere else, and feeding upon it day by day, it up a provision for the whole year, and principally the winter. It loads the little hooks which adorn legs with all the wax and gum that it can carry, [] Psal. civ. 24.9.17

one itself in the hollow of some tree or rock; there ts first care is to form the comb, which it composes of small equal cells, that they may be the better oined, and leave no interval or space between. Then t pours out the honey pure and unmixed into these small reservoirs, and how plentifully soever its magaines are filled, it takes no rest, till the time of labour and harvest is over. In this republic there is no idleness, no avarice or self-love, but all is in common. What is necessary is granted to all, a superfluity to none, and it is for the public good that their substance s preserved. New colonies, which would be a burthen to the state, are sent abroad. They know how to work, and are obliged to do so by being dismissed.

Amongst the best governed nations have we the copy

of so perfect a model? Can such surprising wislom be attributed to chance or a cause without a will? Or can we think these wonders explained by saying, that instinct, nature, and I know not what, is the principle from whence they proceed? And is it not under hese images, on one side so perfect, and on the other 50 remote from matter, that God has taken a pleasure to manifest what he is, and to teach man what e should be?

Let us pass from the bee to the ant, which resem→ les it in many respects, except that a bee enriches nan, and the ant strives all he can to impoverish him by stealing from him.

This little animal is informed, that the winter is ong, and that the ripe corn is not a great while exosed in the field. Thus the ant never sleeps during marvest. It draws along with the little instruments which are fixed to its head grains of corn which are chrice as heavy as itself, and goes backward with them

as

as well as it can. Sometimes it finds a friend by t way, which lends its assistance, but never waits for

The repository, where all is public, and no o thinks of making a separate provision for itself, th repository is made up of several chambers, which com municate with each other by galleries, and which a all dug so deep, that neither the winter rains or sno can penetrate so far. The subterraneous caverns citadels are inventions by far more modern and le perfect, and those who have endeavoured to destr the habitations of such ants, as have had leisure perfect them, have scarce ever succeeded; the brand es of them are extended so far, that they do not f all the injury that is offered them at first.

When their granaries are full, and the winter com on, they begin to secure the grain, by [u] biting the two ends of it, and thereby hindering it fro growing. Thus their first food is no other than a ca for futurity, and what they are determined to rath by prudence than necessity.

Th

Hence we see what an incomprehensible fund industry God has placed in this little animal. has he given it a kind of prophetic understanding, oblige us to recur to him, to whom alone it belon to work such prodigies, who cannot in my opini more sensibly shew us that he is the source of wisdo than by joining together so many circumstances of in so small a part of matter, which has no more th the appearance of it.

Can we sufficiently admire the industry of cert animals, who spin with such art and delicacy, that appears to be the effect of thought and a mathema cal scheme? Who has taught the spider, an animal in 'ther respects so contemptible, to form such fine threa so equal and so artfully suspended? Who has tau it to begin with fixing them to certain points, to j

[u] Pliny the naturalist makes the same observation upon the industry of the ants, that they lay up corn for the winter, and prevent it from growing, by biting off the

end. Lib. xi. c. 30. Yet this is now questioned by some pers who absolutely deny that the lay up any corn.

th

atagem? Who has appointed him his place in the nter, where all the lines meet, and where it is nessarily informed by the lightest motion, that some ey has fallen into his nets? Lastly, who has told n, that his first care then should be to embarrass ewings of that imprudent prey, by new threads, fear it should still have left some liberty of disenging and defending itself.

All the world is a witness of the labours of the silkorm. But have the most skilful artists hitherto been le to imitate it? Have they found out the secret of awing so fine a thread, so strong, so even, so bright d uniform? Have they any materials of greater vae than this thread for making the richest stuffs? Do ey know how this worm converts the juice of the af into golden threads? Can they give a reason why liquid matter, before it has taken the air, should ow strong, and lengthen itself in infinitum, as soon it comes into it? Can any of them explain how is worm is taught to form itself a retreat under the mberless turnings and windings of silk, which have wed from itself, and how in this rich grave it finds kind of resurrection, which gives it the wings its st birth had refused it?

Every crawling worm becomes a kind of fly, gnat, butterfly; and first every fly has crawled in its orihal, and been a kind of worm, caterpillar or insect, fore it had wings; and the middle state between ese two extremes of elevation and meanness, is the ne when the animal becomes a cod or bean, which done a great number of ways, but always in a maner uniform to every species.

I shall conclude this treatise with some observations Don a small animal, which deserves our utmost adiration? Its noma is formicalia It is of an ugly fis