Wax, that keep the included Liquor from fpilling, and from external Injuries; as Mr. Boyle truly obferves, Treatife of Final Caufes, p. 169. Another fort of Bee, I have obferved, may be called the Tree-Bee, whofe industry is admirable in making provifion for her young. First, She digs round Vaults or Burrows [Cuniculos] in a rotten or decayed Tree, of a great length, in them the builds or forms her cylindrical Neft or Cases resembling Cartrages, or a very narrow Thimble, only in proportion longer, of pieces of Rofe or other Leaves, which the fhares of with her Mouth, and plats and joins clofe together by fome glutinous Subftance. Thefe Cafes fhe fills with a red Pap, of a thinner confistence than an Electuary, of no pleafant tafte, which where the gathers, I know not: And which is most remarkable, fhe forms thefe Cafes, and ftores them with this Provifion, before fhe hath any young one hatch'd, or fo much as an Egg laid. For on the top of the Pap fhe lays one Egg, and then clofes up the Veffel with a cover of Leaves. The enclos'd Egg foon becomes an Eula, or Maggot, which feeding upon the Pap till it comes to its full growth, changes to changes to a Nympha, and after comes out a Bee. Another Infect noted for her feeming Prudence, in making provifion for the Winter, proposed by Solomon to the Sluggard for his imitation, is the Ant, which as all Naturalifts agree) hoards up Grains of Corn against the Winter for her Suftenance:

And

And is reported by fome to *bite off Plin. l. 11. the germen of them, left they should sprout by the Moisture of the

c. 30.

Earth, which I look upon as a mere Fiction; neither fhould I be forward to credit the former Relation, were it not for the Authority of the Scripture, because I could never observe fuch ftoring up of Grain by our Country-Ants.

any

Yet there is a Quadruped taken notice of even by the Vulgar, for laying up in ftore Provifion for the Winter; that is, the Squirrel, whofe Hoards of Nuts are frequently found, and pillaged by them.

The Beaver is by credible Perfons, Eye-witneffes, affirm'd to build him Houses for fhelter, and fecurity in Winter-time: See Mr. Boyle of Final Caufes, p. 173.

Befides thefe I have mention'd, an hundred others may be found in Books relating especially to Phyfick, as, that Dogs when they are sick, fhould vomit themfelves by eating Grafs : That Swine fhould refuse Meat so foon as they feel themselves ill, and fo recover by Abftinence: That the Bird Ibis fhould teach Men the Way of adminiftring Clyfters, Plin. lib. 8. cap. 27. The wild Goats of Dictamus for drawing out of Darts, and healing Wounds: The Swallow the ufe of Celandine for repairing the Sight, &c. ibid. Of the Truth of which, because I am not fully fatisfied, I fhall make no Inference from them.

Thirdly, I fhall remark the Care that is taken for the Prefervation of the Weak, and fuch as

That

are exposed to the Injuries, and preventing the Encrease of fuch as are noifome and hurtful : For as it is a Demonftration of the Divine Power and Magnificence to create fuch Variety of Animals, not only great but fmall, not only ftrong and couragious, but also weak and timorous; fo is it no lefs Argument of his Wif dom to give to these Means, and the Power and Skill of using them, to preserve themselves from the Violence and Injuries of those. of the weak fome fhould dig Vaults and Holes in the Earth, as Rabbets, to fecure themselves and their Young; others fhould be arm'd with hard Shells; others with Prickles, the reft that have no fuch Armature, fhould be endued with great Swiftness or Pernicity: And not only fo, but fome also have their Eyes stand so prominent, as the Hare, that they can fee as well behind as before them, that fo they may have their Enemy always in their Eye; and long hollow, moveable Ears, to receive and convey the leaft Sound, or that which comes from far, that they be not fuddenly furprized or taken (as they fay) Napping. Moreover, it is remarkable, that in this Animal, and in the Rabbet, the Muscles of the Loyns and Hind-legs are extraordinarily large in Proportion to the rest of the Body, or those of other Animals, as if made on Purpose for fwiftnefs, that they may be able to escape the Teeth of fo many Enemies as continually purfue and chafe them. Add hereto the Length of their Hind-legs, which is no

fmall

;

fmall Advantage to them, as is noted by Dame Fulan Barns, in an ancient Dialogue in Verse between the Huntsman and his Man the Man there asks his Mafter, What is the Reason, why the Hare when the is near spent makes up a Hill? The Mafter answers, That Nature hath made the Hinder-legs of the Hare longer than the Fore-legs; by which Means fhe climbs the Hill with much more ease than the Dogs, whofe Legs are of equal length, and so leaves the Dogs behind her, and many Times escapes away clear, and faves her Life. This laft Obfervation, I must confefs my self to have borrowed out of the Papers of my honoured Friend Mr. John Aubrey, which he was pleased to give me a Sight of.

I might here add much concerning the Wiles and Rufes, which these timid Creatures make use of to save themselves, and escape their Perfecutors, but that I am fomewhat diffident of the Truth of those Stories and Relations, I fhall only aver what myself have fometimes obferv'd of a Duck, when closely pursued by a Water-dog; the not only dives to fave herself, (which yet fhe never does but when driven to an exigent, and just ready to be caught, because it is Painful and Difficult to her) but when the comes up again, brings not her whole Body above Water but only her Bill, and Part of her Head, holding the Reft underneath, that fo the Dog, who the mean Time turns round and looks about him, may not efpy her, 'till the have recover'd Breath.

As

As for Sheep, which have no natural Weapons or Means to defend or fecure themfelves, neither Heels to run, nor Claws to dig; they are deliver'd into the Hand, and committed to the Care and Tuition of Man, and ferving him for divers Ufes, are nourished and protected by him; and fo enjoying their Beings for a Time, by this Means propagate and continue their Species: So that there are none deftitute of fome Means to preferve themselves, and their Kind; and these Means fo effectual, that notwithstanding all the Endeavours and Contrivances of Man and Beast to destroy them, there is not to this Day one Species loft of fuch as are mention'd in Hiftories, and confequently and undoubtedly neither of fuch as were at first created.

Then for Birds of Prey, and rapacious Animals, it is remarkable what Ariftotle obferves, That they are all folitary, and go not in Flocks, Γαμψωιύχων οὐδὲν ἀγελαίον. No Birds of Prey are gregarious. Again, That fuch Creatures do not greatly multiply, τῶν γαμψωνύχων ὀλιγοτόκα πάντα. They for the most Part breeding and bringing forth but one or two, or at least, a few Young Ones at once: Whereas they that are feeble and timorous are generally Multiparous; or, if they bring forth but few at once, as Pigeons, they compenfate that by their often breeding, viz. every Month but two throughout the Year; by this Means providing for the Continuation of their Kind. But for the Security of these rapacious Birds, it is worthy the noting, that be

caufe