in length, which, at its head, is as big as a writing quill,
diminiflung to a hard iharp point, hollow within, like
the tooth o f a viper, but only to be feen with the lens.
At the root of this vehicle, there is a cavity, with a kind
o f bladder, containing a glutinous! matter, of the fame
colour, but without the confiftenfcy,! or tenacity o f tha t
of the filk-worm, as I found by an experiment, made for
the purpofe, by an infufion in vinegar, for feveral days,
without any effeit.
The orifice of the bladder correfponds exaftly with
the inftrument which ferves to ejeit the glutinous matter,
it is hid under the (kin of the belly, and its interior
furface is united to the moveable parts o f the belly ,
and can partake of its motions, forming the moft admirable
contexture, for every part of its operations, as ihe
can difpofe of this ingredient at pleafure, and ejeit the
fluid, which has three very eifential properties | Firft,
being indxffoluble in water, it prevents its young from
being drowned ; next, it refills the heat of the fun,
otherwife the ftructure would give way and deftroy its
inhabitants; laftly, it is proof againft the froft of winter,
fo as to preferve a neceffary warmth within.
Por greater fecurity, this retreat, is always contrived
in a folitary place ; for, though a million o f locufts were
to light upon a cultivated field, not one would depoftt
her
her eggs there, but wherever they meet a barren and lone-
fome fituation, there they are fure to repair, and lay
their eggs : this difference in the earth they difcover
by the fmell. Thofe who are of another opinion, fure-
l y have not obferved the delicacy of thofe organs in every
fpecies o f infeils, birds, and animals, which govern
all their purfuits. I have even feen numbers o f wafps
come to a piece of meat, placed . in an open field, and
covered over with a glafs, fo that their motions, which
feem the refult o f reflexion, arife from the emanations
and effluviae in.the air, which ftrike their delicate organs.
I have feen legions o f infects fly to places where
they were bleaching wax ; the workmen obferve, that the
minute they touch it, they become faint, and i f they do
not, by a fudden exertion, free themfelves from that
vapour, which exhales about half an inch from the wax,
they are fuffocated, as we ihould be by the fumes o f charcoal.
Every one know's with what fagacity birds o f prey
fly to fuch diftances, guided by the effluviae o f cadaverous
bodies. Thus the loeuft o f Eftremadura-, diftin-
guifhe9 the tilled land from the barren, and regulates its
conduit in confequenee, though ignorant of the motive
o f this preference, nor can it have any idea o f the fpade,
or rejoice at the thoughts of faving its progeny; ailing
in confequenee o f that infinite perfeitien. o f its nature,
given originally by the omnipotent creator. Like
other infeits, its motions are the eonfequenees o f prime-
K k 2 t i v e