with the affiftance of the Prior, of the manner P. 169. of manufacturing the Wax and the Honey. There are two forts of Wax, the one dark, and pitchy, and the other fine, of a sweet Smell, much of the nature of Turpentine. With a natural Glue they stop up all the Holes, that no Air, nor Infect may disturb them in their Their Glue. Cells. This gives occafion to the Count to tell a very diverting Story relating to the Defeat of a Snail, who had attempted to rob the Hive, and how he was killed and buried. Then comes the Description of the Wax, and the Ufefulnefs of it is fhewn to build their Cells, and to clofe them withal, when their Maggots are putting on their Chryfalis. The Honey is gathered off of all forts of Flowers, and the greateft Harvest is in the hotteft Days. Rain is obferved to be very prejudicial to the manufacturing of this precious Liquid, which in a dry Day is fucked into their Probofcis, and emptied again into the Cells defigned for the Reception of it.

Their Wax.

Honey.

THE Count having made an end of his DeP. 181. fcription of the Honey-Bee, and of their Manu-The Wildfactures, the Prior undertakes to give an ac- Bee. count of the Wild-Bee, by fome called Drones; and Hornets, which, he fays, are not by far fo induftrious, &c. as the Garden-Bees. Their Work, notwithstanding, is mighty curious, and different from that of Garden-Bees, or Wafps, and the Detail the Prior descends to, is as entertaining as what he has before said concerning the Honey-Bee. We cannot omit one pretty Singularity. The young Hornets being a lazy kind of Falks, one among them, ftouter than the rest, and whofe Habitation is at the upper end of their Town, puts out half its body

P. 185.

out of its House every Morning, at half an Hour past seven, precifely, and there founds fuch an Alarum, that the whole Colony begin to stretch, and finally to get out. The Dif courfe goes on, gives an account of their Policy, and relates all the fine things that once upon a time were faid before of the Bees. [which, by the by,the The J--ft's incredulous Dr. Derham will hardly be brought Obferv. to believe. See Philof. Tranf. Numb. 382. no more than the famous Mr. Leeuwenboek. Vid. Cont. Arcan. Natur. Epift. 133.] The Converfation ends with an Account of the Profits of Bee-hives, and where the best is to be had.

Conv.VIII

Flics.

IN this Conversation are to be examined the Fly, the Gnat, the Gryllotalpa, the Ant, and the Formica-leo; which the agreeable Countess takes to be a great deal for one fetting. The Count, whofe Province is to defcribe the Fly, obferves the innumerable Quantity of Eyes each kind is endued with, and relates feveral curious Experiments to prove this Truth, and their ufe, from the great Leeuwenhoek, and Neuwentyt. The Count mentions alfo the pretended Spunges on the Soles of their Feet, to affift them to walk on smooth Surfaces: All the other parts of the Fly-kind are examined with great Fidelity, and Accuracy. A curious Account is alfo given of the Production of Galls, wherewith Ink is made, and fhews from the p.198. moft fagacious Malpighi, that they are nothing elfe but Excrefcences of the Oak, caufed by Infects which terebrate the Gems of fome Branches, and therein depofit their Eggs, which become Maggots. The Parent Fly in thrusting in her Egg,

Galls,

In Philof. Tranf Numb. 172. there is a curious Account of a trange fort of ftinglefs Bees in America, which have a different way of working from ours, and whofe Honey is much pleasanter than ours, &c,

.

&c.

Egg, throws, it is likely, fome Ichor that diverts the Sap of the Tree, and causes that Excrefcense which increases in proportion with the Maggot, till it is time for it to make its way out, and fly away. (See Phyf. Theol. by Dr. Derbam, B. VIII. c. 6. N. z. &c.) Cochenille, Cochenille, Kermes, &c. come next under Confideration, Kermers, and are likewife proved to be occafioned by Infects. (See a curious Account of a Polish-Coccus in Philof. Tranf. N. 421.) The Gnats turn is Gnats. now come, and thefe give the Chevalier as much Diverfion as any of the other Infects, and with good reafon, [one only thing excepted, The J--f's which is, that they are made to outlive the f Year.] The Count having performed his part, the Prior begins his Task, which is to give an Account of the Gryllotalpa, and the Ant. A Defcription of the former by the witty Countess, who gives it a French Name, anfwering to ours, viz. Mole-cricket. This Account of them is The Grylbut short, because of the Prior's fmall Acquain-lotalpa tance with them. These being foon dispatch'd,

The J.-ft's

the Ant is described next, and that in few The Ant. words. [Here the Prior, and the most accu- p. 211. rate Leeuwenboeck are like to difagree again about their Policy. See Leeuwenh. Contin. Arcan. Naturæ Epift. 133. where you will likewife fee the Reasons of the Ant's laying up Pro-obf. vifion and our great Dr. Derbam, with all judicious Naturalifts, is not likely to be of another Opinion.] The Prior having made an end, the Chevalier entertains the Company with what he knows of the Formica- leo. This The Foris an Infect much of the fize of a Hog-loufe ; and mica-leo, the Reader is made acquainted with the feveral Changes it goes thro'. This Animal lives upon Ants, Pulices, &c. and has a fingular way of

p. 221, making them fall into its Clutches. The Trap he builds for that purpose is here described, as well as his manner of preparing for his Chryfalis-ftate, from which it comes out a beautiful Dragon-Fly, (or Libella.) The Chevalier takes notice that there is another kind of Libella, which originally comes from the Water; (standing Water, I fuppofe.)

Conv. IX.

Mufcles.

THE Lady introduces the learned Company into a Room, where feveral drinking Glaffes P. 227. being on the Table, they fall to examine very critically what is in them, which appear to be Mufcles, (a Shell-Fish.) Here is fhewn how they move, feed, and fpin the Cordage about them. This gives the Company occafion by way of digreffion, to fpeak of various forts of what they call Silk. That of the Pinna Marina, (a large kind of Mufcle) which is wrought at Palermo; that of Spiders, whereof a Pair of Gloves and Stockings were prefented to the late Dutchess of Burgundy. The Snail is now brought on the Carpet, and the Mechanism of p. 234 its Houfe is fhewn, together with its Eyes, its

P. 232.

The Snail.

manner of Creeping, its Slime, Teeth,andĠeneration; where, by the by, is fhewn that they are Hermaphrodites, and lay Eggs ; the manner how it repairs the Breaches in its Houfe, if not too large and a great many other curious things that have at the fame time a relation to the feThe J-ft's veral Kinds of Cochleas. [See fome very cuobf. riousObfervations concerning the Horn of ShellSnails by the learned Mr.Ray in the Philof.Tranf N.50.]The Chevalier defiring to know theOrigin of Pearls,the learned Count acquaints him,that it The Origin is probably the Effect of fome Difeafe in the of Pearls. Fishes wherein they are found. The Prior obP248. jects against the Count, that when Crabs and

Grabs.

Lob

Lobsters fhed their Shells (which they do once a Year, and cover their whole Bodies juft then, with a Slime, which hardens in time) there are then found in them a kind of Stones, very improperly called Crabs-eyes, which diminish as the new Shell hardens; and that the Pearl might be fuch a Stone: but the Count eafily folves that Difficulty. The Chevalier now fhews the Count fome petrified Shells, found at a great distance from the Sea, which are proved to have been the Effect of the Deluge.

THE Birds, which furnish Matter for the Con. X. two fubfequent Converfations, open this; and P.256 the Prior, with an Eloquence becoming his Birds Cloth, fhews, in a few words, the various Wonders of the feathered Kind. The Lady takes upon her the Tafk to explain the Nidification of most kinds of Birds, by reafon her Ladyship daily attends a charming, large, and well-ftock'd Aviary fhe has in her Garden. She obferves, that all Birds of one kind build their Nefts exactly alike, and use the fame Materials. And what is remarkable,a Hen Canary-bird for want of Cotton, or Raw Silk, which the Lady had forgot to furnish her with to build her Neft, pluck'd the Feathers off the Cock'sBreast to line it withal. Several pertinent Reflections are afterwards made upon the Actions of Birds, which are much the fame as the learned Dr. Derbam's, from the 4th Chap. of the VIIth Book, to which we refer our Readers.

THE Count now gives an anatomical DeThe Egg. scription of an Egg, wherein are likewife given p. 267. phyfical Reasons for its Texture. The Prior p. 279.

takes notice, that those Birds whofe Parents feed them when they are hatched, till they are ftrong enough to take their flight, and feek for themselves, are generally but few in number;

and

P.