fittest to cultivate our Minds, improve our Knowledge, and fill us with Gratitude towards the great Creator of thefe Wonders. But as Caution is to be used in Curiofity, the Author has added at the End of his Book fome few Confiderations on the juft Rights, and neceffary Bounds of Human Reafon.

THE Author, in this Work, intends nothing but a Defcription of what Nature offers to view, without pretending to refer Effects to their fpecial Caufes, or explain the Mechanifm or the Motion of the Springs, &c. of the feveral Objects: And as this Book is defigned chiefly for the Service of Youth, the Author treats his Subject by way of Converfation betwixt a young Chevalier, a Count, and the Countess his Lady, at whofe Country-house the Chevalier is fupposed to have gone to pafs away the Vacationtime allowed at Schools; and a Prior, Rector of a neighbouring Village. This Method affording more Diverfion than any other, as it makes the Reader become in a manner one of the Company, he thinks it will have the more effect. If this Volume meets with fuccefs, it will foon be followed by more.

THIS BOOK is divided into fifteen Converfations, and concludes with a Letter from the young Chevalier, who, from home, writes to the Prior, and the Prior's Answer.

IN the firft Converfation, the Chevalier is found in the Count's Study, where falling upon feveral natural Curiofities there, and in two Rooms next adjoining, and examining them with the Count's Microfcope, this naturally brings the Count, the Prior who is with him, and the Chevalier to talk of the Subject Matter of the Chevalier's Obfervations, The Count

begins by the Infects, in general; which he gives a Definition of, and divides into three p. 6. Tribes. The firft, according to our Author, Defcription of the In is compofed of feveral Rings, which extend, fects. and contract within a Membrane, or Skin : The Three fecond has several Scales, or Lamine, that draw Tribes of up under one another: The third is made of them. two or three principal Parts, which are fastened one to the other with a Thread.

OF the first kind are all the feveral Species of The J-ft's Worms, whether with, or without Feet; [by obfrv. which it appears, that our Author has made Infects of the Reptiles.] Of the fecond, are all Flies. Of the third, are Ants, Spiders, &c.

Arma

HE next examines in general, their beautiful Clothing, and magnificent Ornaments; their p.8-5. Armature, offenfive and defenfive, whereby Their they are enabled to wage War, attack, and Clothing, defend themselves; fome armed with ftrong ture, &c Teeth, fome with double Saws, fome with Stings, and two Spears, fome with strong Forcipes. Some are guarded against Dangers by Shells or Scales, which cover the whole Body; fome by long Hairs that deaden the Shocks they might receive by Falls, or otherwife. Almost all find their Safety in their Flight from Dangers, fome by the help of their Wings, others by the Springs, of their bind Legs, which caft them inftantly at a great distance, out of harm's way; others by the help of a Thread, which they fuddenly let down from off the Leaf they are on. Others efcape by Craft, or Subtilty; and notwithstaning this continual War among Animals, which affords Prey enough for them all, there still remains a fufficient Number to perpetuate each Species.

BESIDES

P. 9. BESIDES what we have been defcribing, they Their Or are furnished with proper Organs for Food, gans and Tools to and Digeftion, and Tools to work each one werk with, at his Trade. Some can fpin, and have two Diftaffs for that purpose, and a kind of Finger to fashion their Thread. Others again are Weavers, and have for that purpose Balls, and Shuttles. Others make Wax, and have all the Tools that are neceffary for that purpose. A great Number have a Trunk, or Probofcis, for different Ufes. Many of those which have Trunks, have alfo at their Tails Augers, or Terebella, wherewith they perforate Houses for themselves, even the hardest Wood; or Fruit, &c. for Food. Others, with piercing Eyes, are befides provided with a Couple of Antenna, or kinds of Horns, which not only guard their 2 Eyes, but through their exquifite Senfe of Feeling, help them to escape Dangers, they might perhaps not fee; fome of which Antenne are feather'd, fome end in the fashion of Combs, &c. Some have four Wings, as the Dragonfly. The Wings of others are fo fine, that they might greatly be prejudic'd, were it not for Cafes, wherein they are drawn, as all Flies of the Scarab kind do. A great number are only Vid.Derb. bipennated, and under the Wings of thefe are two kinds of Balls, which they ufe to poife, or Theol.B.8. balance their Bodies with, as a Rope-Dancer his

Phyf.

6. 4.

Pole to keep his Body upright. All this being reprefented to the very attentive Chevalier, the Prior beftows a few moral Reflections on this beautiful Workmanship, and fhews how much better bedeck'd with Gold, and Gems, the Head of an infignificant Fly, feen with a single Microscope; how much more magnificently it. is adorned, than other Heads who affect the like Orna

Ornaments: how much better finished the The Works Works of the Creator are than thofe of Man, of the Cre which laft, however fine they may appear to the nitely more. ator infinaked Eye, yet feen thro' a Microscope, and beautiful compared with thofe of that great Artift, arethan thofe fo rude and unpolifh'd, that they betray the of Man. want of Skill in the Workman, as well as the Coarfenefs of his Taols, and Materials.

1

4

p.16.

Sponta

p. 24.

THE Count next entertains the Chevalier with the feveral States through which the Infect paffes; and by undeniable Proofs, fhews the Impoffibility, and Contradiction of Sponta-neous neous Generation, both of Plants, or of Ani-Generation mals, which always chufe the fitteft and fecureft impoffible. Places to repofite their Pofterity. In every Species is difcerned a remarkable Sagacity, they never mistaking either the Time when, the Place where, or the Material wherewith they build their Habitations; or in giving their. Young the Food that is propereft for them, or laying their Eggs in fuch places, as, when the Animal is hatched, it may find its proper Food. For instance, examine with a Microscope a Drop of Vinegar, and you will find in it a thoufand little Eels, and never any other fort of Creatures, &c. becaufe one of thefe Animals has an Instinct that it is the propereft Food for its Young, and therefore lays its Eggs therein. A Moth never feeks any thing elfe to lay its Eggs upon, but woollen Stuffs, or drefs'd Leather, and Paper, and never any where elfe.

THE

The Author gives his Reader to underftand, that the fame kind of Moth, or Worms, feed upon woollen Stuffs, drefs'd Leather, or Paper; but Experience teaches us, that the Moth, or Worm that lives upon Wool, will not feed upon Leather, nor Papers these two are of different kinds. The laft, which feeds upon Paper, Books, and their Bind

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THE Count having fully exploded the Doctrine of fpontaneous Generation, proceeds next to fhew how many States the Infects go thro'.

FIRST, it is an Egg. Secondly, the Infect gets out of the Egg, fome with, and some P.31. without Feet. Thofe, fays he, which are without Feet, are at their Parents charge, who take care to place them in commodious Lodgings, and to bring them Food: others which have Feet go themselves, and feek for Food upon the Leaves of the Tree which fuits them beft, and where their Mother has taken care to place them.

[I do not know of any kind of Infect fo taken care of by its Parent, as to bring Food to its Young when firft hatched: for according to the true Obfervation of this Gentleman, every InThe J--ft's fect lays its Eggs, or Spawn where the Young, Obferv. at it's hatching, finds what is most proper for its Food, be it of the Vermicular, or Caterpillar Kind; and the Infect, after it has undergone its three States, dies before its Eggs are hatched. But to do the ingenious Author all poffible Juftice, it may be that his Meaning is, that fome Kinds, fuch as Bees, Wafps, Hornets, &c: before they lay their Eggs, carry in Materials for their Nefts, and Food at the fame time, against the Eggs, they afterwards lay there, are hatch-. ed; and feal them up with their Eggs. See Dr. Derham's Phyfico-Theol. Book IV. Cap. 13. Note c. Book VIII. c. 5. N. c.]

The feve ral Chan

WHEN the Infect that Kind which underges under-goes feveral Changes, is hatched, it fheds at gone by the different times its Coat, and puts on new, five Infect.

or

ing, are (when out of their Aurelia State) of the Scarab, wheeas the other is of the Papilionaceous Kind. (The J's Obf.)