a prodigious Combination is there often of these yea, how nice an Air frequently of meaner Col Fours (19), as to captivate the Eye of all Beholders and exceed the Dexterity of the most exqui fite Pencil to Copy? And now, when we thus find a whole World of Animals, cloathed in the wifeft Manner, the mot fuitable to the Element in which they live, the Place in which they refide, and their State and Occafions there; when thofe that are able to fhife for themselves, are left to their own -Difcretion and Diligence, but the Helpless well accouter'a ( and provided for; when fuch incomparable Strokes of Art and Workmanship appear in all, and fuch inimitable Glories and Beauties in the Cloathing of others; who can, without the greateft Obfti nacy and Prejudice, deny this to be GOD's Hane dy work? The gaudy, or even the meaneft Appala rel which Man provideth for himself, we readily enough own to be the Contrivance, the Work of Man and fhall we deny the Cloathing of all the Animal World befides (which infinitely furpaffeth all the Robes of earthly Majefty; fhall we, dare we deny that) to be the Work of any thing lefs than of an infinite intelligent Being, whole Ard and Power are equal to fuch glorious Work! picks, which are obferved as much to exceed our Birds in their Colours, as ours do theirs in their Singing. (19) The Wryneck, at a distance, is a Bird of mean Colour; neither are indeed its Colours radiant, or beautiful, fingly confidered but when it is in the Hand we fee its light and darker Colours fo curioufly mixed together, as to give the Bird a furprizing Beauty. The fame is also obser vable in many Infects, particularly of the Phalana-kind. CHAP. CHAP. XIII. Of the Houfes and Habitation of Animals. HA Aving in the last Chapter, as briefly as well I could, furveyed the Cloathing of Animals, I fhall in this take a View of their Houses, Nefts, their Cells and Habitations: another thing no lefs neceffary to their Well-being than the laft; and in ; which the Great Creator hath likewife fignalized his Care and Skill, by giving Animals an architectonick Faculty, to build themselves convenient Places of Retirement, in which to repofe and fecure themselves, and to nurse up their Young. And here, as before, we may confider the cafe of Man, and that of the Irrational Animals. Man having (as I faid) the Gift of Reafon and Understanding, is able to fhift for himself, to contrive and build, as his Pleafure leads him, and his Abilities will admit of. From the meaneft Huts and Cottages, he can erect himself stately Buildings, bedeck them with exquifite Arts of Architecture, Painting, and other Garniture, enoble them, and render them delightful with pleafang Gardens, Fountains, Avenues, and what not? For Man therefore the Creator hath abundantly provi, ded in this refpect, by giving him an Ability to help himself. And a wife Provifion this is, inafmch as it is an excellent exercife of the Wit, the Ingenuity, the Induftry and Care of Man, But fince Ingenuity without Materials would be fruitless, the Materials therefore which the Creator hath provided the World with, for this very fervice of Building, deferves our notice, The great great varieties of Trees (1), Earth, Stones and Plants, anfwering every Occafion and Purpose of Man for this Ufe, in all Ages and Places all the World over, is a great Act of the Creator's Goodnefs; as manifefting, that fince he has left Man to fhift for himself, it should not be without fufficient Helps to enable him to do fo, if he would but make ufe of them, and the Senfe and Reason which God hath given him. Thus fufficient Provision is made for the Habitation of Man. And no lefs fhall we find is made for the reft of the Creatures; who although they want the power of Reason to vary their Methods, and cannot add to, or diminish from, or any way make Improvements upon their natural way; yet we find that natural Inftinct, which the Creator's infinite Understanding hath imprinted in them, to be abun dantly fufficient, nay, in all probability, the very beft or only Method they can take, or that can be invented for the refpective Ufe and Purpose of each peculiar Species of Animals (†). If fome Creatures make their Nefts in Houfes, fome in Trees, 2.1. fome (1) -Dant utile lignum Virg. Georg. 1. 2, carm. 442. (+) See Chap 15. and Book VIII, Chap. 6. fome in Shrubs, fome in the Earth (2), fome in Stone, fome in the Waters, fome here, and fome there, or have none at all; yet we find, that that Place, that Method of Nidification doth abundantly answer the Creatures Use and Occations. They can there fufficiently and well repose, and fecure themselves, lay, and breed up their Young. We are fo far from difcovering any Inconvenience in any of their respective Ways, from perceiving any Lofs befal the Species, any decay, any perishing of their Young; that in all probability, on the con (2) Many of the Vefpa-Ichneumones are remarkable enough: for their Nidification and Provifion for their Young. Thofe that build in Earth (who commonly have golden and black Rings round their Alvi) having lined the little Cells, they have perforated, lay therein their Eggs, and then carry into them Maggots from the Leaves of Trees, and feal them up clofe and neatly. And another Ichneumon, more of the Vespa than Mufca-Ichneumon Kind (having a little Sting in its Tail of a black Colour) gave me the pleasure, one Summer, of feeing it build its Neft in a little hole in my Study-. Window. This Cell was coated about with an odoriferous refinous Gum, collected, I fuppofe, from fome Fir-Trees near; after which it laid two Eggs (I think the number was) and then carried in divers Maggots, fome bigger than itself. Thefe it very fagaciously fealed clofe up into the Neft, leaving them there doubtless partly to afflift the Incubation and efpecially for Food to the future Young when hatched. Of this Artifice of thefe Ichneumons, Ariftotle himself takes notice, (but I believe he was fcarce aware of the Eggs fealed up with the Spiders). 'O N Exes xoves go, &c., As to the Vefpæ, called Ichneumones (lefs than others) they kill Spiders, and carry them into their Holes, and having fealed them up with Dirt, they therein batch, and produce thefeof the fame Kind. Hift. Anim. 1. 5. c. 20. To what hath been faid about these Ichneumon-Wafps, Į fhall add one Obfervation more, concerning the providential Structure of their Mouth in every of their Tribes, viz. their Jaws are not only very ftrong, but nicely fized, curved and placed for gnawing and feraping thofe compleat little Holes they perforate in Earth, Wood, yea, Stone it felf. Contrary,in that particular way they better thrive, are more fecure, and better able to fhift for, and help themselves. If, for inftance, fome Beafts make to themfelves no Habitation, but lie abroad in the open Air, and there produce their Young; in this cafe we find there is no need it fhould be otherwife, by reafon they are either taken care of by Man (3) or in no Danger, as other Creatures, from abroad. If others repofite their Young in Holes (4) and Dens, and fecure themselves alfo therein, it is, because fuch Guard, fuch Security is wanting, their Lives being fought either by the Hoftility of Man, or to fatisfie the Appetite of rapacious Creatures (5). If among Birds, fome build their Nefts clofe, fome open, fome with this, fome with another Material, fome in Houses, fome in Trees, fome on the Ground (6), fome on Rocks and Crags on high (of which God himself hath given (3) Tully having fpoken of the Care of fome Animals towards their Young, by which they are nurfed and brought up, faith, Accedit etiam ad nonnullorum animantium, & earum rerum quas terra gignit, confervationem, & falutem, hominum etiam folertia & diligentia. Nam multa & pecudes, &ftirpes funt, que fine procuratione hominum falva effe non poffunt. Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1. 2. c. 52. (4) Prov, 30. 26. The Conies are but a feeble Folk, jet make.. they their Houfes in the Rocks. (5) See Note 10. (6) It is a notable Instinct which Ol. Magnus tells of the Galli Sylveftres in his Northern Country, to fecure themfelves against the Cold and Storms of the Winter. Cum nives inftar collium terra fuperficiem ubique cooperiunt, ramofque arborum diutius deprimunt, & condenfant, certos fructus Be-. rule arboris----in forma longi Piperis vorant, & glutiunt indigeftos; idque tanta aviditate, ac quantitate, ut repletum guttur toto corpore majus appareat. Deinde partitis agminibus fefe inter medios nivium colles immergunt, præfertim in Jan. Febr. Martio, quando nives ut turbines, typhones, vel tempeftates graviffime è nubibus defcendunt. Cumque cooperta Junt |