Part thereof, their Motion, their Inftincts, their regular Generation and Production; and, to name no more, the incomparable Beauty and Luftre of the Colours of many of them, what more admirable and more manifeft Demonftration of the infinite Creator, than even this little. contemned Branch of the Animal World. let us take a fhort View of Particulars.

CHA P. II.

But

Of the Shape and Structure of INSECTS.

ET us begin with the Shape and Fabrick of their Bodies Which although it be fomewhat different from that of Birds, being particularly, for the moft part, not fo fharp before, to cut and make way through the Air, yet is better adapted to their manner of Life. For confidering that there is litttle Neceffity of long Flights, and that the Strength and Activity of their Wings doth much furpafs the Refiftance their Bodies meet with from the Air, there was no great Occafion their Bodies fhould be fo fharpened before. But the Condition of their Food, and manner of gathering it, together with the great Neceffity of accurate Vifion by that admirable Provifion made for them by the reticulated Cornea of their Eyes; thefe things, I fay, as they required a larger Room, fo were a good Occafion for the Largenefs of the Head, and its Amplitude before. But for the reft of their Body, all is well made, and nicely poifed for their Flight, and every other of their Occafions.

น

And as their Shape, fo the Fabrick and Make of their Bodies is no lefs accurate, admirable, and

fingular, not built throughout with Bones, and covered with Flesh and Skin, as in moft other Animals; but covered with a curious Mail of a middle Nature (3), ferving both as Skin and Bone too, for the Shape, as well as Strength and Guard of the Body, and as it were on purpose to fhew that the great Contriver of Nature is not bound up to one way only.

CHA P. III.

Of the Eyes and Antennæ of INSECTS.

O this laft-mentioned Guard we may add Tthat father Guard provided in the Eyes and

Antenna. The Structure of the Eye is, in all Creatures, an admirable Piece of Mechanifm; but that obfervable in the Eyes of Infects fo peculiar, that it muft needs excite our Admiration: Fenced with its own Hardness, yea, even its own accurate Vifion, is a good Guard against external Injuries; and its Cornea, or outward Coat, all over befet with curious, tranfparent, lenticular (1) Inlets,

(3) Infeca non videntur Nervos babere, nec offa, nec Spinas, nec Cartilaginem, nec Pinguia, nec Carnes, ne Cruftam quidem fragilem, ut quædam marina, nec quæ jure dicatur Cutis: fed media cujufdam inter omnia hac naturæ corpus, &c. Plin. N. H. L. II. c. 4.

(1) The Cornea of Flies, Wafps, &c. are fo common an Entertainment with the Microscope, that every body knows it is a curious piece of of Lattice-work. In which this is remarkable, that every Foramen is of a lenticular Nature; fo that we fee Objects through them topfey-turvey, as through fo many convex Glaffes: Yea, they become a fmall Telef cope, when there is a due focal diftance between them and the Lens of the Microscope.

lets, enabling thofe Creatures to fee (no doubt) very accurately every Way, without any Interval of Time or Trouble to move the Eye towards Objects.

And as for the other part, the Antenna or Feelers, whatever their Ufe may be in cleaning the Eyes, or other fuch like Ufe, they are, in all probability, a good Guard to the Eyes and Head, in their Walk and Flight, enabling them, by the Senfe of Feeling, to difcover fuch Annoyances, which by their Proximity may perhaps efcape the Reach of the Eyes and Sight (2) Befides which,

they

This lenticular Power of the Cornea, fupplies (as I ima gine) the place of the Cryftalline, if not of the Vitreous Humour too, there being neither of those Humours that I could ever find (although for truth fake, I confess I have not been fo diligent as I might in this Enquiry) but instead of Humours and Tunicks, I imagine that every Lens of the Cornea, hath a diftinct Branch of the Optick Nerve miniftring to it, and rendring it as fo many diftin&t Eyes. So that as moft Animals are Binocular, Spiders for the moft part Octonocular, and fome (as Mr. Willughby thought, Rait Hift. Infect. p. 12.) Senocular; fo Flies, c. are Multocular, having as many Eyes as there are Perforations in their Cornea. By which means, as other Creatures are obliged to turn their Eyes to Objects, these have fome or other of their Eyes ready placed towards Objects, nearly all round them: Thus particularly it is in the Dragon-Fly (Libella) the greateft part of whofe Head is poffeffed by its Eyes: Which is of excellent ufe to that predatious Infect, for the ready feeing and darting at (mall Flies all round it, on which it preys.

(2) It is manifeft, that Infects clean their Eyes with their Fore-legs, as well as Antennæ. And confidering, that as they walk along, they are perpetually feeling, and fearching before them, with their Feelers, or Antenna; therefore I am apt to think, that befides wiping and cleaning the Eyes the uses here named may be admitted. For as their Eyes are immoveable, fo that no time is required for the turning their Eyes to Objects; fo there is no neceffity of the Retina or Optick Nerve being brought nigher unto, or fet

far

they are a curious Piece of Workmanship, and in many, a very beautiful Piece of (3) Garniture to the Body.

CHA P. IV. bultowa

Of the Parts and Motion of INSECTS.

FROM the Head pafs we to the Members

A

concerned in their Motion. And here we have a copious Subject, if I was minded to expatiate. I might take notice of the admirable Mechanifm in thofe that creep: The curious Oars in thofe amphibious Infects that fwim and walk (1); the incomparable Provifion made in the Feet

of

24378

farther off from the Cornea (which would require time) as it is in other Animals:: But their Cornea and Optick Nerve, being always at one and the fame Diftance are fitted only to feer diftantial Objects, but not fuch as are very night Which Inconvenience, the Feelers obviate, left it should be prejudicial, in occafioning the Infect to run its. Head againft any thing.

And that this, rather than wiping the Eyes, is the chief ufe of the Feelers, is farther manifeft from the Antenna of the Flefb Fly, and many other Infects, which are fhort, and ftrait, and incapable of being bent unto, or extended over the Eyes: As alfo from others enormously long, fich as thofe of the Capricorni or Goat-chafers, the Cadew-Fly, and divers others, both Beetles and Flies.

(3) The lamellated Antenna of fome, the clavellated of others, the neatly articulated of others, the feathered and divers other forms of others of the Scarab, Papilionaceous, Gnat, and other Kinds, are furprizingly, beautiful, when viewed through a Microscope. And in fome, thofe Antenna diftinguish the Sexes. As in the Gnat-kind, all those with Tufts, Feathers, and Brufh-horns, are Males; thofe with fhort, fingle thafted Antenna, are Females.

13

(1) All the Families of Hydrocanthari Norone&i, &c. have their hindmoft Legs made very nicely, with commo

of fuch as walk, or hang upon fmooth Surfaces (2): the great Strength and Spring in the Legs of fuch as leap (3): the ftrong and well made Feet and Talons of fuch as dig (4): and to name no more, the admirable Faculty of fuch as cannot fly, to convey themselves with Speed and Safety, by the help of their Webs (5), or fome other

dious Joynts flat, and Briftles end, ferving for Oars to fiim; are two ftiff Spikes, to enable fion is.

on each Side towards the and then, nearer the Body, them to walk when Occam to "

(2) I might here name divers Flies and other Infects, who, befides their fharp, hooked Nails, have alfo skinny Palms to their Feet, to enable them to ftick on Glafs, and other fmooth Bodies, by means of the preffure of the Atmosphere. But because the Example will illuftrate another work of Nature, as well as this, I fhall chufe a fingular piece of Mechanifm in one of the largest forts of Hydrocanthari. of these large ones there are two forts, one largeft, all black, with Antenna handsomly embossed at the ends. The other fomewhat leffer, hardly fo black, with capillary Antenna; the Forehead, Edges of the Vagina, and two Rings on the Thorax, of a tawny colour. The Female hath Vagine prettily furrowed; the Male fmooth. But that which is moft to our purpose in this Male, is a Flap, or hollowish Cap near the middle Joynt of the Fore-legs: Which when clap'd on the Shoulders of the Female in Coitu, fticks firmly thereafter the manner as I have feen Boys carry heavy Stones with only a wet piece of Leather clap'd on the top of the Stone.

on;

(3) Thus Grafhoppers and Crickets have brawny, ftrong Thighs, with long, flender, but ftrong Legs, which enable them to leap with great Agility and Strength.

(4) I have wondered to fee with what great Quickness, Art, and Strength, many Vespa Ichneumons, Wild Bees, and Beetles, perforate the Earth, yea, even Wood it felf: But the moft remarkable Animal in this way, is the Mole-Cricket in Book 4. Ch.13. Note 17.

(5) I have with pleasure often feen Spiders dart out their Webs, and fail away by the help thereof." of which, fee Mr. Lowth. Abridg. Vol. 2. p. Lifter and Dr. Halfe, who both claimed the Discovery there

For the manner 794. from Dr.

of: