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diff --git a/44377-0.txt b/44377-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..84e6ce9 --- /dev/null +++ b/44377-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4258 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44377 *** + +[Illustration: UNCLE PHILIP TALKING TO THE BOYS. + +_J.&J. Harper. New-York._] + + + + + UNCLE PHILIP'S + + CONVERSATIONS + + with Young Persons. + + [Illustration] + + NEW YORK + J. & J. HARPER 82 CLIFF ST^T. + 1833. + + + + + NATURAL HISTORY; + OR, + UNCLE PHILIP'S + CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHILDREN + ABOUT + TOOLS AND TRADES + AMONG + INFERIOR ANIMALS. + + WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS. + + + NEW-YORK: + PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS., + NO. 82 CLIFF-STREET. + + 1835. + + + + + Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1835, + By Harper & Brothers, + In the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of New-York. + + + + +ADVERTISEMENT. + + +We must tell our little readers something about this number of their +Library. It was sent to us by a very kind old uncle of ours, who, when +we were young, was so much from home, visiting various places in the +world, that we do not remember seeing him very often at that period. At +last, the old man, finding that he could not bear fatigue as he had done +when young, determined to come home; and we had heard so much about him +that we were quite anxious to see him. He came to our house one evening, +and appeared rather odd to us; but he was so good-natured, and told us +so many curious things, that we soon forgot his odd appearance. + +The old gentleman brought home with him a very large number of books, +and a great many strange things which he had gathered in his travels, +such as stones, and dried insects, and leaves, and flowers, and stuffed +birds, and animals. He did not stay with us long, but went to the +village where he was born, and built a small house to which he carried +all his books and curiosities, and said that he should spend the rest of +his days there. + +We sometimes pay him a visit. The last time we were there, we found him +talking to several children around him. In the beginning of the book +there is a picture of the old gentleman. After you have looked at it, +you may read the letter which he sent us, and learn how he came to write +this book. + + Your friends, + The Publishers. + + + + +UNCLE PHILIP'S LETTER. + + + My dear Nephews, + +I was very much pleased to receive the numbers of your Library for +Boys and Girls which you sent to me. You know I am now an old man, +and have travelled a great deal, and seen a great many strange things +in the course of my life. I am too old to travel any more, and so I +am quietly living in the cottage I built by the side of that pleasant +and shady little stream where I played when I was a boy. I read my +books, and especially that best of all of them, my Bible; and so am +patiently waiting till my Heavenly Father shall call me to take my last +journey; when I hope, for the sake of the blessed Saviour, to go to Him. +Sometimes I walk out into the village, and meet the children and have +a long talk with them. They all know me; and very often, some of them +will come to my house, and ask me to tell them about things which I have +seen in my travels or read of in books: and so I spend many happy hours +with the little creatures; for you know how much I love children. When +I had read the books you sent to me, I lent them to the children, who +were delighted; and I thought that if I should sometimes write down what +we here talked about, it might please the little boys and girls for whom +you print your books, and perhaps they might learn something from our +conversations which would be useful: and so I determined to send them to +you, from time to time, to print, if you pleased. + +If you think fit to print what I send, just tell your little readers who +I am; an aged and quiet old man, who is very fond of little boys and +girls, and wishes them to be wise and good here, and happy hereafter, +and that I am your + + Uncle Philip. + _Newtown, Feb_. 1833. + +P.S. If you print what I send now, please to print the Preface to +Parents, which I also send; in order that they may, by reading it, +see what sort of a book Uncle Philip has been making for their dear +children, and may be satisfied that it will not harm them to read it. + + + + +PREFACE TO PARENTS. + + +The author of the following book avails himself of the opportunity +afforded by its publication, to address a word to those who sustain the +delightful and responsible relation of parents. + +To such of that class as may honour by a perusal this humble attempt +to interest and instruct their offspring, the author need not say that +the subject of his book possesses for himself peculiar attractions: it +will readily be perceived that he has found a charm in the pursuits of +the naturalist. The votary of a favourite science would anticipate too +much, should he expect every one to partake of the enthusiasm which is +apt to stimulate him; it is wisely and kindly ordered that we shall +not all be enthusiasts in the same direction. The author, however, +still ventures to hope, that in his subject there is enough to attract, +though it may fail to fascinate. He hopes, too, that it will be found +not attractive merely, but profitable also to his young countrymen. +There are many reasons on which to found such a hope. If to entertain +reverence for our Maker, to admire and adore his wisdom and goodness +in the illustrations of nature, thankfully to acknowledge and duly to +improve the superiority which mind confers, be exercises in which a wise +parent would desire to train a child,--the study of natural science +is admirably adapted to the attainment of these objects. Again, if it +be desirable to encourage habits of patient observation, accuracy of +investigation, and soundness of thought; let the volume of nature be +opened before the youthful mind. If to learn _things_ be better than +to learn _words_, it is important to place things before the growing +intellects of the young. Let it not be supposed that to present matters +of science intelligibly to the minds of children is a hopeless task. It +requires not learning or maturity of understanding to perceive a _fact_; +it needs only the ordinary senses which God has bestowed alike upon +children and their parents. Natural science is emphatically the science +of _facts_; built upon any other foundation it becomes conjecture +merely: and he knows but little of the mind of a child who is not aware +of the facility with which a fact is impressed upon it. The secret of +instructing the young will be found to consist more in the mode of +communication than in the nature of the subject. + +As to the style of this work a word may be said; not, of course, for +the purpose of disarming criticism (for truly the writer has never +supposed his trifle worth the critic's labour or notice), but simply to +remark, that the object has been to write for the minds of _children_; +if the book be intelligible to them, the utmost ambition of Uncle Philip +will be attained. Truth and plainness were all he sought. The first he +believes he has attained; and to determine his success in attempting +the last, he turns from the parents, and looks for the decision of the +question to the suffrages of the children. He would rather hear the +expression of satisfaction from the lips of one intelligent little +reader, than receive the words of approbation from many who are elders; +the first is testimony derived from experience, the last is but opinion. +Children always know better than any one else does what books they +understand. + +In conclusion, the author owes it to himself to say to the parents +of his young countrymen, and to the patrons of the "Boy's and Girl's +Library," that what he has written will be found on the side of religion +and morals. So far as these important points are concerned, the writer +is not ashamed to avow himself a Christian; nor yet does he mean to make +it the subject of boasting. In his simple view, Christianity is a very +quiet and gentle thing, which eschews strife, and promotes practical +goodness; and truly can he say, that he has indulged in some of his +happiest and, as he trusts, his holiest musings when, in the solitary +pursuit of his favourite science,--to use the language of good old +Izaak Walton, that simple-hearted lover of God, and all his works,--"he +has looked upon the wonders of nature with admiration, or found some +harmless insect to content him, and pass away a little time, without +offence to God, or injury to man." + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + Page + CONVERSATION I. + About a Fly that can work with a Saw and a Rasp, like the Carpenter 13 + + CONVERSATION II. + About Grasshoppers and Bees that bore Holes with a Gimlet 19 + + CONVERSATION III. + About Animals that are Tailors 27 + + CONVERSATION IV. + About the first Paper in the World made by Wasps 41 + + CONVERSATION V. + A Story about Tom Smith, and of Bees with Brushes and Baskets, and + of a Bird with a Chisel, and a Gnat with a Lancet 53 + + CONVERSATION VI. + About Animals that can do Mason's Work 66 + + CONVERSATION VII. + About Animals that throw Dirt with a Spade; and about an Animal + with a Hook; and about one that is a Wire-drawer 80 + + CONVERSATION VIII. + About a Door, with a Hinge and Spring to it, made by a Spider; and + the Difference between God's Work and Man's 94 + + CONVERSATION IX. + A Story about a Philosopher and his Kite; and about Ants that + have Awls, and build Cities, and Stairs, and Bridges, and many + other Things 104 + + CONVERSATION X. + More about the white Ants 120 + + CONVERSATION XI. + About some other Ants that are very good Masons, and build Walls + and Ceilings; and a Story about a very sensible Ant which seemed + to think a little 129 + + CONVERSATION XII. + About Ants that go to War, and fight Battles; and about some that + are Thieves, and have Slaves 138 + + CONVERSATION XIII. + A Voyage; and an Animal that makes itself into a Ship; and of an + Insect that builds a Boat, and floats about in a Canoe; and of + another that pumps Water, and wears a Mask; and of a Spider that + builds a Raft, and floats upon it 151 + + CONVERSATION XIV. + About an Insect with Tweezers, and another with Pincers; and how + a Fly's Foot is made, so as to stick to the Wall 167 + + CONVERSATION XV. + How Hats are made; and about Animals that can make Felt + like the Hatter 181 + + CONVERSATION XVI. + About Birds that are Weavers, and the Politician Bird; a + Story about some Philosophers; and what may be learned + from these Conversations 202 + + + + +NATURAL HISTORY. + + + + +CONVERSATION I. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Children about a Fly that can work + with a Saw and a Rasp, like the Carpenter._ + + +"Well, boys, this is a beautiful day. The sun is shining brightly, and +the birds are singing, and the insects are flying about, and the grass +is green, and every thing appears pleasant, and you feel happy too, and +have come, I suppose, to see old Uncle Philip." + +"Yes, Uncle Philip, we are tired of playing now, and so we have come to +ask you to talk with us, and tell us about some of the curious things +you know." + +"Well, boys, I will tell you about some very strange things. I will talk +to you about animals that know how to work with tools like a man." + +"Work with tools, Uncle Philip! That is strange; but we know it is so, +if you say so; because you will not tell us any stories but true ones. +But where do they get the tools?" + +"Ah, boys, 'the hand that made them is _divine_!' They get them where we +get all that is useful and good,--from God. The Bible says that He '_is +wise in heart, and wonderful in working_;' and he has made many a poor +little insect, and given it tools to work with for its comfort, as good +and perfect as any that man can make. Yes, these poor little creatures +had tools long before man had. God cares for the insects, boys, as well +as for us." + +"But, Uncle Philip, what sort of tools do you mean? Tell us about them." + +"Very well, I will; do you think of some kind of tools that men use: +think of the carpenter and his tools, and let us see if we cannot find +some of them among the insects." + +"Why, the carpenter has a saw. Is there any saw among these little +fellows?" + +"Yes indeed, there is; and a capital saw it is. Now listen, and I will +tell you all about it. There is a kind of fly called the _saw-fly_; it +has four wings, and commonly its body is yellow, and its head is black; +but the most curious part of it is the saw. The young ones feed upon the +leaves of rose-bushes, and gooseberries, and raspberries, and currants, +and several other kinds of bushes; and the old ones always lay their +eggs on the branches of these bushes, so that the young ones may have +something to eat as soon as they come out. It uses its saw to make a +place in the branch to put its egg in." + +"Uncle Philip, what is the saw made of?" + +"It is made of something like horn, and is fixed very nicely in a case; +it resembles what the cabinet-makers call a _tenon-saw_ more than it +does the carpenter's common saw. The tenon-saw is made of a thin plate +of steel, and has a stiff brass back, to keep it from bending. The brass +back has a groove in it, and the saw is put in that groove, and then it +is fastened to it. But the fly's saw is fixed in another way: there is +a back to it too, but that back is not fastened to the saw. The groove +is in the saw, and there is a ridge all along the back-piece, which +just fits in the groove, and so the saw slides backwards and forwards, +and the ridge always keeps it in its place. Besides all this, boys, the +fly is better off than the cabinet-maker, for he uses only one saw at +a time; but our little workman has two exactly alike, and they are so +fixed that the creature first pushes out one, and when it is drawing +that back, pushes out the other; so that it is all the time cutting, and +does double work. I think the fly's saw is the best, too, for another +reason. The saws of the carpenter and cabinet-maker have their teeth +bent; first, one a little on one side, and then the next to it a little +on the other side, and so on to the end of the saw; so that when sawing, +the cut may be wide enough for the blade to move easily. Now the fly's +saw has the teeth a little bent, or twisted, too; but it has something +else: on the outside of every tooth there are a great many very small +teeth, so that the outside of every one is just like a _rasp_, or +_file_." + +"But, Uncle Philip, it must take them a great while to saw a very little +cut; they are so small." + +"Yes, it does; but they persevere. It takes them more than an hour and a +half to make one groove, and sometimes they will go on and make as many +as six without stopping. That shows, boys, what perseverance will do." + +"And when it is done sawing, Uncle Philip, where does it keep its saws?" + +"Oh, I told you they fitted in a case; but when the fly is done sawing, +it uses the saws to put the egg in the place cut for it, and then it +draws the saws almost entirely into the case, and drops upon the egg a +sort of frothy stuff like a drop of soap-lather." + +"What is that for?" + +"I suppose it is to glue the egg fast, or else to keep the juices in the +bush from hurting it." + +"Well, this is a curious fly, Uncle Philip." + +"It is strange, boys, because you never heard of it before; but it is a +cunning fly, as well as a curious one." + +"What does it do, Uncle Philip?" + +"Why, when it is frightened, it will fold up its case and saws under its +body, and draw up its legs, and pretend to be dead; and then it will not +move, even if you stick a pin through it." + +"Can you tell us any thing more about this fly?" + +"Nothing very strange, boys; but we have found out _two_ tools, I think, +a saw and a rasp, and that is enough for one poor little fly to give us. +Here, boys, are pictures of these saws; I have made them a great deal +larger than they are in the fly, so that you can see them plainly." + +[Illustration: Saw of the Saw-fly, with Rasps shown in the Cross-lines.] + +[Illustration: Portion of the Saw-fly's comb-toothed Rasp, and Saw.] + + + + +CONVERSATION II. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Children about Grasshoppers and Bees, + that bore Holes with a Gimlet._ + + +"Well, Uncle Philip, here we are again, to hear more about the tools +that animals work with; we have seen in the bark of trees, and old +wooden posts, little holes as round as a gimlet could make, and we +have been thinking whether any of these little creatures have augers +and gimlets, as well as saws. Do you know of any of them that can bore +holes?" + +"Oh yes, boys; I know of more than one that can bore as smooth and round +a hole as any carpenter you ever saw. There are some of the grasshoppers +that have an excellent gimlet. The contrivance has five pieces in it; +two of the pieces make a case to keep the augers in, two more are the +augers or borers, and the other is a piece between the two borers on +which they slide; this piece has a ridge on each side of it, and the +augers have a groove which exactly fits the ridge. Besides this, each +auger ends in a knob, and that knob has teeth all around it. Here is a +picture of it." + +[Illustration: Ovipositors, with files, of the Grasshopper, magnified.] + +"But, Uncle Philip, what is the piece with the ridge for?" + +"Ah, boys, that piece shows the wisdom and the goodness of God. '_His +tender mercies are over all his works_:' he has placed that piece there +to keep the borers stiff, so that they cannot get out of joint, or be +broken, when the little workman is boring." + +"Well, this is very curious." + +"Yes; but there are some of these insect workmen more curious still. +Did you ever see a spy-glass? You know it is a round, hollow piece of +wood, with brass tubes in it, which are made smaller and smaller, so +as to slide into one another, when the glass is not used. Now there +is a sort of gadfly (she is a little creature, too) which has exactly +such a contrivance to keep her gimlet in. It is in four pieces, and the +smallest piece ends in five sharp points, three of which are longer than +the other two: she twists these five sharp points into one piece, and +as some are longer and some shorter, when they are all put together, +they make a sharp edge running all around, and are almost exactly like +an auger or gimlet. When she wants to use it, she just shoots out the +different tubes, so as to make a stem for the gimlet; and when she is +done, she puts all back into its case again. + +"Here is a drawing of it, and I think that by looking at it you will +understand what I have been telling you: I do not know whether men +learned from this part of the fly how to make the case of a spy-glass; +but I know they might have learned. + +[Illustration: Ovipositor or Gimlet of the Gadfly, greatly magnified, +with a claw and part of the tube, distinct.] + +"There is also a bee, boys, which is called the _carpenter-bee_, because +it is such an excellent wood-borer. It commonly looks for some old post, +or dry plank, or withered part of a tree, to work in. It never works in +wood that is green and has the sap or juices in it; for the bee knows, +just as well as any carpenter does, that it is very hard to get tools +through such wood. I expect that you have seen sometimes, when an old +post or dry board was split, a long hollow groove in the middle of it, +with little round thin pieces of something like paper, about as thick as +a wafer, fastened in it by their edges, one above the other, all the way +through. These show the work of the carpenter-bee: she bored the hole, +and she put those little partitions like paper in it, to separate the +cells; and more than that, she made the partitions out of the dust she +got by boring. She always likes, too, to get a piece of wood in a place +where the sun can shine on it; and when she has made her choice, she +begins to bore at first into the post in a slanting direction, and as +soon as she has gone far enough in, she then turns and bores straight, +with the grain of the wood." + +"Does she do it quickly, Uncle Philip?" + +"Not very quickly, for sometimes the wood is very hard; I have seen +one of these holes nearly twelve inches long in a very hard oak board. +Sometimes she has to work at it for months; but she works steadily, +boys, and that does a great deal. What makes it more tiresome is, that +the poor little creature has to bring out all the dust she makes by +boring." + +"How large is the hole?" + +"Oh, large enough to put my forefinger in, and sometimes fifteen inches +long. After she has bored it as deep as is necessary, she begins to +divide it into separate cells. So she commences at the bottom, and puts +in a quantity of what is called bee-bread, until it reaches about an +inch in height; on the top of this she lays an egg, and the bread is put +there to feed the young one as soon as it comes out of the egg. She then +makes a floor over it out of the dust, as I told you; she knows how to +glue this dust together, and she brings it grain by grain from the heap +in which she put it when she first brought it out: and she always begins +by gluing the dust around the outside of the hole she has bored, and +then glues another ring to that, and then another, and another, making +each ring smaller and smaller, until she has it all filled; so that her +floor, when it is done, appears like a parcel of rings of smaller and +smaller sizes placed within each other. On the top of this floor she +puts bee-bread, as before, and places another egg on it, and then covers +it with a floor again; and so she goes on making cells and filling them +with bread, and covering each with a floor, until she has filled up the +hole." + +"Uncle Philip, how do the young bees get out when the egg is hatched? It +seems as if they were shut up for ever in prison." + +"No, boys; there is a way for them to get out, and it shows the +wonderful wisdom of God in teaching this poor bee how to contrive the +matter. The egg which is put in the lowest cell being the oldest, the +little worm that is afterward to be a bee will come out of that one +first: now, you know, he never could get through all the cells over his +head, filled as they are with bee-bread, so as to come out at the top +of the hole. If he gets out at all, then, it must be at the bottom. The +old bee knows this, and she so arranges these eggs that when the worm +comes out it will be with his head pointed downwards; he falls to eating +his bread, and so eats himself down to the bottom of his cell, and there +he finds that his mother has bored a hole from his cell to the outside, +and through that he comes out. When his brother in the cell above him +has eaten his way down to the bottom of his cell, he just eats through +the floor and gets into the cell below, which is then empty, you know, +and walks out at the same hole which his older brother used before him. +And so all the rest one after another eat their way downwards into the +empty cells below them, and get out at the same back-door, which their +mother made by what we call her _instinct_, which just means the share +of wisdom which God gives to the lower animals to show them how to take +care of themselves." + +[Illustration: =A=, represents a part of a post, tunnelled in several +places by the violet carpenter-bee; the stick is split, and shows the +nests and passages by which they are approached. =C=, a piece of thin +stick, pierced by the carpenter-bee, and split, to show the nests. =D=, +perspective view of one of the partitions. =E=, carpenter-bee. =F=, +teeth of the carpenter-bee, greatly magnified; _a_, the upper side; _b_, +lower side.] + +"Why, that instinct, as you call it, Uncle Philip, is a curious thing." + +"Very curious, very curious indeed, boys; and at some other time, if +you wish, we will talk more about it, and I will tell you a great many +stories of animals, which will show you their instinct. But for this +time I have told you enough to keep you thinking until we meet again. So +now just look at this picture of the carpenter-bee's house, and then you +may go home." + + + + +CONVERSATION III. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Children about Animals that are + Tailors._ + + +"Uncle Philip, we are very glad to see you, and we think we have found +out something to ask you, about a kind of work which men do, that no +other animal can accomplish. As we came along this morning to visit +you, and were talking of what you had told us of insects that, like +carpenters, could saw wood and bore holes in it, we passed by the +tailor's shop, near the church; 'and now,' said we, 'we have found out +something which will puzzle good Uncle Philip: there are surely no +tailors among the lower animals; so we will ask him to-day to talk about +creatures that can cut out cloth and sew it up with a needle.'" + +"Ah, my dear children, there are a great many things which would puzzle +Uncle Philip. I do not know every thing; nor do I suppose that I can +find _every_ trade in the world among the dumb creatures which God has +made. But you have made a bad choice of a puzzle this morning, my boys; +for there are tailors among the inferior creatures, and some pretty nice +ones, too; at any rate, they always cut so as to fit exactly." + +"Why, Uncle Philip! You do not mean to say that they can cut out +_cloth_, and then sew it up again with a needle and thread!" + +"No, boys; I do not think it is to be expected that they should take +a pair of shears and cut a piece of cloth, or put a piece of thread +through the eye of a steel needle; any more than we expect the insect +that saws, to go to the cabinet-maker, and borrow his tool to work +with. But with the instruments which God has given to them, they will +cut what is cloth to them, the leaves of trees and flowers, and will sew +them together too: and, now I think of it, there is one that will cut +his garments out of our cloth." + +"Pray let us hear about them, Uncle Philip." + +"Softly, boys, softly. I have two things to say to you before I begin. +In the first place, I am very glad to hear that you think and talk among +yourselves about the things which I tell you: and in the next place, I +know that you love _me_, and, therefore would not wish, by _puzzling_ +me, as you call it, to produce mortification or vexation; nor do I +think that I should have felt either vexed or mortified had I not been +able to find tailors among the lower animals; but I do not wish you to +take pleasure in puzzling people; for it is very apt to produce in you +a feeling of triumph, and to make you vain: and you must remember that +for _one_ of your questions which cannot be answered, a _thousand_ might +be put to you, of the answer to which you would be ignorant. No man, my +dear boys, knows every thing. Wise men talk with each other, that they +may learn from each other; and the wisest are not ashamed to acknowledge +their ignorance of some things; and I believe they take very little +pleasure in puzzling. It is our duty to learn all that we can, and to be +always willing at a proper time to teach others what we know." + +"Thank you, dear Uncle Philip, for your advice. We did not mean to +triumph over _you_, if you had not been able to tell us of tailors among +the animals. But we see that you are right. We might get a foolish +habit, which would do us harm." + +"Exactly what I meant, boys; and now let us begin. And first we will +talk of the cutting out, as the tailor always does that before he sews. +There is a kind of bee[1] which, like some of the insects we have +already spoken of, is furnished with a borer. With this she forms a +round hole, like that made with an auger or gimlet, in a hard-trodden +path, or sometimes in a piece of soft decayed wood. It is in making her +nest in this hole that she plays the part of a tailor, for the nest is +made of leaves, sometimes taken from the rose, at others from the birch, +ash, or other trees. The little creature cuts them commonly, and I +believe always, into two shapes. They are either half-oval, that is, +half the shape of the bowl of a spoon, or round, and are of different +sizes. Sometimes she makes a mistake in the size, and when she finds it +out, she alters it. These leaves are prepared to line the hole which +she has bored, and she begins with the largest pieces; taking them into +the hole, she winds around in it, until she has spread very smoothly a +tube of leaves the whole length of it; she then closes up one end of it +by rounding it off and doubling the pieces of leaf one over another. +In this case she sets about making her _cells_. She takes three of her +half-oval pieces which have been cut to fit, and contrives to roll them, +so that the edge of one piece will just lap over the edge of the next; +these, when she has finished rolling them, make the hollow of the cell, +which is not quite an inch high. She next turns up the ends of these +pieces, which are cut to fit, so as to form the bottom: she then sets to +work with three other pieces rolled in the same way inside of the cell +just finished, turning up their ends as before to form the bottom; and +within these she again works three others, so that her cell, when it is +done, is of nine thicknesses of leaves. And you see why, though she cuts +the pieces of the same shape, they are not all of one size: they are +of three sizes, so as to make the cells within each other smaller and +smaller." + +"But, Uncle Philip, you have not said any thing about the round pieces +which she cuts; how does she use them?" + +"I will tell you: after she has finished one cell she lays an egg in it, +and fills it all round with food nearly liquid; now as the cell is lying +down on its side, all this liquid food would run out if it were not +corked up, and the bee therefore uses her circular pieces to stop up the +cells." + +"And does she really make these round pieces to fit the cell?" + +"Yes, boys, exactly; and they are cut too as regularly as if they had +been first measured and marked with a pair of compasses. And, more than +this, the little creature will fit one in in less than a minute. But the +most curious thing is, that sometimes she will fly off to a distance +to get this round piece, and bring back one which will exactly suit; +so that it really seems as if she carried the size in her head. After +finishing one cell she will make another, until she has completed as +many as she wants; and then, as she always builds them one upon another, +they appear like a parcel of thimbles stuck into each other and put into +a case: and here is a picture of it." + +[Illustration: Rose-leaf-cutter Bees, and Nest lined with Rose-leaves] + +"This is very wonderful, Uncle Philip; and it does seem like cutting out +pieces to fit." + +"Very true: but this is not the only cutter-out of leaves among the +bees. There is another kind, called the poppy-bee,[2] because it uses +the scarlet leaves of the poppy-flower to line its cell. It makes its +hole in the ground, as smooth and regular and polished as can be, and +then proceeds to line it all around with pieces of the leaves, and cuts +them to fit as she goes on. If a piece is too large she will trim it +down to the proper size and shape, and always carries away the scraps. +Now if you should take a pair of scissors and try to cut the leaf of a +poppy-flower, you would wrinkle it, but this little workman will spread +out what she cuts as smooth as glass. When she has lined this hole +throughout, and carried the lining out beyond the entrance, she fills it +with honey and _pollen_, or bee-bread, as it is called, about half an +inch high, lays an egg, then folds down the leaves on it, and finally +fills the upper part with earth." + +"Then she was not working for herself?" + +"No; she was providing a house for her young, and God has taught her +thus to take care of it. + +"I will now tell you of another little workman, which I have heard +called the cloak-maker, because it makes for itself a mantle which +really appears very much like a cloak; and, stranger still, this cloak +is lined throughout with silk." + +"Can it be possible, Uncle Philip?" + +"Listen, and you shall hear. These mantle-looking cases are made by +the _larva_, as it is called, or grub of a little moth which forms a +covering of pure silk; this silk it spins from itself; it is not woven +so as to appear like our silk, but still it is real silk, and is worked +into a great many thin scales, which lap over one another like the +scales of a fish. But this is only the lining of the cloak. This little +tailor is the field-moth, which first eats what it wants from a green +leaf, and then, from the thin membranes left, sets about making its +mantle: and it makes it of two pieces cut out and joined together with a +seam, just as a tailor would make it." + +"How does it go to work, Uncle Philip?" + +"Why, I will give you the account as it was given by a gentleman[3] who +was very fond of observing insects, and who watched one of these little +creatures. He says that from the thin membrane of the leaf it first +cut two pieces just equal in size and of exactly the same shape; each +of these pieces was to form one-half of the cloak, and this he says was +done wonderfully fast. He noticed, too, that one end of each piece, that +which was meant for the bottom of the cloak, was just twice as long as +the other end, which was the top. The insect then placed itself between +the two pieces while they were lying flat; it afterward brought the two +sides where the seam was to be, together, and fastened them at certain +places, still leaving, however, considerable spaces open. It then began +to turn and twist its body about in all directions, until it moulded +the pieces into a hollow form to fit. When it found that it would fit +its body, it brought the edges of the seam close together through the +whole length, and contrived to sew or fasten them so neatly together, +that when the gentleman looked, even with a magnifying-glass, he said he +could hardly find the seam. The whole was lined with the silk spun from +itself, and was finished in about twelve hours." + +"Why, this little workman is the strangest of all: but, Uncle Philip, +you said there was one of these animal tailors that cut his garment out +of _cloth_: pray tell us of him." + +"When I said that, boys, I was thinking of the clothes-moth.[4] They +make their coats of wool commonly taken from our cloth, and silk drawn +from their own mouths; and the strangest thing concerning them is, +that when they outgrow their clothes they will piece them to make them +larger. Suppose the insect wants it longer, it adds a new ring of wool +to the end: suppose it wants it wider, it slits the case or garment, not +from one end to the other, for this would leave it naked, but it splits +it half-way down the sides, and when it has filled it in with proper +pieces, it splits the remaining half, and puts other pieces in them. +There is another curious thing about this tailor: it always makes its +coat of the same colour with the cloth from which it takes the wool; so +that if it has first made its garment of a piece of blue cloth, and is +placed on a bit of red cloth when it wishes to enlarge it, you will see +its work exactly, for the pieces which it puts in will be red. This is +the little fellow, boys, which does so much mischief to our clothes." + +"Well, Uncle Philip, one can almost forgive his mischief for the sake +of his ingenuity. But you have said nothing yet about _needles_; how do +these little creatures sew?" + +"Why, they have what serves as a needle to them: but I can tell you of +another animal which sews with a needle a great deal plainer to be seen +than that of these little insects." + +"Pray let us hear of him, Uncle Philip." + +"I must go among the birds to find this workman. There is a kind of +starling, called the orchard starling,[5] about which, Mr. Wilson, a +gentleman who has written a great deal concerning the birds of our +country, gives a very curious account. He says that this bird commonly +hangs its nest from the twigs of an apple-tree, and makes it in a very +singular manner. The outside is made of a particular kind of long +tough grass, that will bend without breaking, and this grass is knit +or sewed through and through in a thousand directions, just as if done +with a needle. The little creature does it with its feet and bill. Mr. +Wilson says that he one day showed one of these nests to an old lady, +and she was so much struck with the work that she asked him, half in +earnest, if he did not think that these birds could be taught to _darn +stockings_? Mr. Wilson took the pains too to draw out one of these +grass threads, and found that it measured thirteen inches, and in that +distance the bird who used it had passed it in and out thirty-four +times." + +"Why, this was sewing, sure enough." + +"Yes; and I saw, when I was in the West Indies, another kind of +starling[6] which will cut leaves into a shape like the quarter of +an orange-rind, and sew the whole very neatly to the under side of a +banana-leaf, so as to make one side of the nest. But, boys, there is +another most beautiful little bird, which is called the tailor-bird, +because it sews so well.[7] It first picks out a plant with large +leaves, then it gathers cotton from the shrub, and with the help of +its fine long bill and slender little feet it spins this cotton into a +thread, and then using its bill for a needle, it will sew these large +leaves together to hide its nest, and sew them very neatly, too." + +"Why, dear Uncle Philip, this is the most wonderful tailor of them all." + +"He is, indeed: but, my children, what do we learn from all that I have +been telling you? Who made these little creatures with such curious +skill, and taught them to work so well? It was the same God who made us; +for such wonderful things never came from what people call _chance_. +Chance, boys, never made any thing: and how very wise he must be to +form such nice little workmen; and how very good thus to teach them how +to take care of themselves. The Bible says, truly, that '_his tender +mercies are over all his works_.' And I think, boys, we may learn +another thing: it is, not to be so very proud of what we know; for I +rather suppose that we shall often find that the lower creatures around +us understood many of our trades long before we found them out." + +"Yes, Uncle Philip, it is likely that these little fellows you have been +telling us of this morning were the first tailors in the world." + +"Very likely, very likely indeed, boys. But now I must bid you good +morning; for here comes our good clergyman, and I am going with him to +see a poor sick woman." + +"Good morning, Uncle Philip; we will come again on Saturday." + + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] Megachile centuncularis. + +[2] Osmia papaveris. + +[3] Reaumur. + +[4] Tinea sarcitella. + +[5] Icterus mutatus. + +[6] Icterus bonana. + +[7] Sylvia sutoria. + + + + +CONVERSATION IV. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Children about the first Paper in the + World, made by Wasps._ + + +"Ah, boys! how do you do? This is Saturday, and I have been expecting to +see you come for some time." + +"Why, Uncle Philip, we should have been here sooner, but we went round +by the old mill; because we thought that perhaps we might find in some +of the old timbers, holes bored by some of those industrious little +carpenters you told us about." + +"Well; and did you find any?" + +"No; but we found something else, which we have brought to show you: and +we have been talking about it all the way. We have not discovered any +new _tools_ among the animals, but we think we have found out a _trade_ +that some of them work at; and we wish you to tell us if we are right." + +"Oh, that I will do, with pleasure, if I can. What is the trade that +you think you have discovered?" + +"It is paper-making, Uncle Philip. We have found this part of a wasp's +nest, which we have brought along; and as you told us it was always best +to notice every thing closely, we examined this, and it appeared so much +like coarse paper that we thought (for we knew it was made by wasps) +that man did not make the first paper in the world." + +"Well, boys, that was not a bad thought. Now you see the advantage of +taking notice of things, and of thinking about what you see. You are +perfectly right in supposing that wasps make paper; and, if you please, +we will talk this morning about the wasps." + +"Oh yes, yes, by all means, Uncle Philip; and we will thank you, too." + +"I must first tell you, then, that of the wasps there are several kinds. +Some build their nests under ground, and some hang theirs in the air to +the limb of a tree. This part of a nest which you have found belonged to +the last kind; but I will tell you something about both. But before I +begin let me get some drawings I have, which will help us to understand +better. I have them. And now, of the wasps which build under ground. +As soon as the warm season begins, the first care of the mother-wasp +is to look for a fit place in which to build; and in the spring of the +year she may very often be seen flying about a hole in the bank of a +ditch, and looking into it. These holes which she examines are the old +houses of field-mice or moles, and some persons have thought, what I +expect is true, that she likes to take such old holes, because they save +her a great deal of hard work. But still, as the holes are not large +enough for her use, she has a great deal of labour to make them do. So +she goes at once to work, digging in the hole she has chosen, and makes +a winding, zigzag gallery, about two feet long, and about an inch in +width. She digs out the earth, and carries it out, or pushes it out +behind her as she goes on. This gallery ends in a large chamber or hole +from one to two feet across when it is done: and now she is ready to +begin her nest." + +"Now then, Uncle Philip, she will begin to make paper, will she not?" + +"Yes; but here I ought to tell you that it was a long time before men +found out what she made it of. Do you remember my telling you of a +gentleman who watched the little cloak-maker to see how he made his +garment? Well, this gentleman, whose name was Reaumur, was trying for +twenty years, he says, to find out how the wasp made paper, before he +succeeded. At last, one day, he saw a female wasp alight on the sash +of his window and begin to gnaw the wood; he watched her, and saw that +she pulled off from the wood fibre after fibre, about the tenth part of +an inch long, and not so large as a hair. She gathered these up into a +knot with her feet, and then flew to another part of the sash, and went +to work, stripping off more fibres or threads, and putting them to the +bundle she had already. At last he caught her, to examine the bundle, +and found that its colour was exactly like that of a wasp's nest; but +the little ball was dry; she had not yet wetted it to make a pulp of it +which could be spread out. He noticed another thing, that this bundle +was not at all like wood gnawed by other insects; it was not sawdust, +but threads of some little length bruised into lint. He then set to work +himself with his penknife, and very soon scraped and bruised some of the +wood of the same window-sash, so as to make a little ball exactly like +the wasp's. Mr. Reaumur thought that this was the stuff out of which the +wasp made paper, and it has since been found out that he was right. The +animal wets its little bundle of bruised wooden fibres or threads with +a kind of glue that it has, and this makes it stick together like pulp +or paste; and while it is soft, the wasp walks backwards, and spreads it +out with her feet and her tongue, until she has made it almost as thin +as the thinnest paper. With this she lines the top of the hole in which +she is going to build her nest, for she always begins at the top. But +this is so thin that it would be too weak to keep the dirt from falling +in; and therefore she goes on spreading her papers one upon the other +until she has made the wall nearly two inches thick. These pieces are +not laid exactly flat on each other like two pieces of pasteboard, but +with little open spaces between, being joined at the edges only. This +is the ceiling; and when it is finished she begins to build what may be +called the highest floor of the nest; this she makes of the same paper +in a great number of little cells all joined together at the sides; and +instead of fastening this floor to the sides of the nest, she hangs it +to the ceiling by rods made also out of this paper: these rods are small +in the middle, and grow larger towards the ends, so as to be stronger. +Here is a drawing of one. + +[Illustration: The Cut represents one of the Rods from which the Floors +are suspended.] + +She then makes a second floor, and hangs it under the first by rods as +before; and the whole of it, when finished, if it should be cut straight +through the middle, would appear something like the following picture of +one which I made some years ago." + +[Illustration: _Section of the Social-Wasp's Nest._--_aa_, the outer +wall; _b_, _cc_, five small terraces of cells for the neuter wasps; +_dd_, _ee_, three rows of large cells for the males and females.] + +"This is a very ingenious little paper-maker. Uncle Philip." + +"Yes, boys, it is so. This of which I have been telling you is the +ground-wasp. The tree-wasp makes its nest of paper prepared in the same +way; and the nests are of different shapes. One makes it in a round +flattened ball, not much larger than a rose, and when cut open it shows +layer upon layer of leaves of the same thin grayish-looking paper. This +kind is not so common, however. Here is one of their nests. + +[Illustration: Wasp's Nest.] + +"Another makes its nest of cells placed in separate floors, but without +any outer wall to keep off the rain; and the most curious thing in this +nest is, that it is not placed in a horizontal way; that is, it is not +placed with the floors level, because then the cells would catch the +rain, and the nest would be spoiled; but it is always placed slanting, +so that the rain may run off. It is always placed, too, so as to face +the north or the west, and I suppose it is because the wasp knows that +it is in more danger of rain from the south and the east. Here is a nest +of this kind." + +[Illustration: Wasp's Cells attached to a branch.] + +"Ah, Uncle Philip! this must be a kind of lazy wasp. It does not choose +to take the trouble to cover up the house, and so it hangs it slanting, +to make the rain run off." + +"It may be so, boys; but I think that in making this wasp lazy, you make +it a very sensible wasp; else how should it know that water would run +down a slanting surface? But I cannot believe that it is so lazy; for, +though it does not cover up the whole house in a paper shell, yet it +does what no other wasp does, it covers its nest with a complete coat of +shining, water-proof varnish, to prevent the rain from soaking into the +cells. And putting on this varnish, I can tell you, is no trifling work. +It forms a pretty large part of the labour of the whole swarm belonging +to the nest; and sometimes you may see some of them at work for hours at +a time, spreading it on with their tongues. No, my lads, he who wants an +example of laziness, will not find it among the wasps. + +"But let us come back to the paper. Hornets make paper for their nests +much in the same manner as the wasps do, only it is coarser. There is, +however, one kind of wasp which makes a sort of paper more curious than +this which you have found. It is not a wasp found in this country at +all. It is the Cayenne wasp, and so smooth, strong, and white is the +outside of his nest that it appears like a card, and he is for that +reason sometimes called the card-maker wasp. He hangs his nest on the +branch of a tree, and it is so hard and polished on the outside that +the rain rolls off from it, as if it were glass. A little hole in the +lower end is left for the animal to pass in and out; and in this picture +of it, which I have, a piece is left out of the side to show how the +cells within are fixed." + +[Illustration: Nest of the Card-maker Wasp, with part removed to show +the arrangement of the Cells.] + +"Well, then, Uncle Philip, we were right in thinking that wasps were the +first paper-makers; and very glad we are that we saw this old piece of +a wasp's nest. Who would have thought that so much could be learned by +picking up this old scrap of a wasp's work!" + +"Very good sense, boys, in that thought. A wise man will learn something +from almost any thing. Use your eyes, and think of what you see. Now in +this very trade of paper-making. I think that man would have found it +out a great deal sooner if he had watched the wasps at their work. They +have been excellent workmen at this business from the beginning; and man +has gone on learning little by little of this very trade, as I will tell +you at some other time, when he might have made a long step at once, +had he but noticed wasps and hornets. We go on very slowly sometimes in +learning to make a trade as perfect as it can be: the poor animal, with +its knowledge such as God gave it, is often our superior. These dumb +creatures cannot teach us every thing; there is a point to which they +can go, and no further: but as far as they do know, their knowledge is +perfect; and I make no doubt that a great many useful things not now +known will hereafter be found out by watching dumb animals." + + + + +CONVERSATION V. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Children a Story about Tom Smith; and + of Bees with Brushes and Baskets, and of a Bird with a Chisel, and + a Gnat with a Lancet._ + + +"Uncle Philip, as the day is fine, instead of sitting here, will you +walk with us, this morning?" + +"Yes, boys; let me get my cane and hat, and we will take a ramble; +perhaps we may see something, if we will use our eyes. Where do you wish +to go?" + +"Oh, we do not care much, if you are with us, which way we walk; any +course will be pleasant." + +"Come on, then; we will cross the river, and go down on the other side +beyond the old mill, where you found the wasp's paper. And now, such of +you as will, may keep a look-out for curious things, while the rest of +us will talk together.--Boys, do any of you know Tom Smith?" + +"Know him! Why, Uncle Philip, everybody in this part of the country +knows him; he is such a shocking drunkard, and swears so horribly, that +nobody can forget him; and what makes it worse, he is an old man, too. +His hair is almost as white as yours, Uncle Philip." + +"Yes; he is just about my age. We were both born here, and I have known +him ever since we were boys; and when we played together as children, +over this very field which we are now crossing, or caught fish in +the river down yonder by the rocks, there was not a more decent, +well-behaved, handsome boy among us than was Tom Smith. Poor Tom lost +his father when he was about twelve years old, and his mother, having +no other child, indulged him, until he was sent to the city to go into +a store. But Tom then, boys, had good principles; he neither swore nor +got drunk. In a little time he fell into bad company, and they led him +astray by degrees. He was so good-natured (as they call it), boys, +that he had never the firmness to say _no_ to the proposals of his +companions. He went with them to places of amusement; and instead of +spending his evenings in his own room, reading, he was at the theatre, +or dancing in some place, or at a supper with his young companions; +and finally he began to play cards and billiards with them; while the +inside of the church was a place which he never saw. He was cheated by +his companions; and too honest he was then not to pay what he lost by +gaming: he wrote to his poor mother, and told her the truth, as to his +losses, and she sent him money to pay his debts, and told him to come +home. He did come home; and even after all that had happened, poor Tom +might have been respectable and happy; for his friends were all willing +to forget the past, and encourage him for the future. For a time he went +on pretty well, and married an affectionate and good young woman, and +his prospects were bright enough: but one thing, boys--one single thing, +ruined his comfort for ever. In the city he had learned _to drink strong +liquors_. + +"I remember, too, soon after he came home and married, that a man was +hung not far from here for murdering his wife. The man was a drunkard, +though he was quite sober when he killed the poor woman; and drunkenness +had hardened his heart. I have no doubt, as it will the heart of any +man. Tom was talking to me about that man, and I remember he said then +that when a man _began_ to drink, he could never say where it would end, +nor what he would do: 'therefore,' said Tom, 'beware of the _first_ +drink.' But Tom, though he talked like a Christian and a man about it, +did not act like one: for it was not long before he began to follow his +bad habit, and he soon killed his poor mother; for she died of grief +and sorrow, I think. His excellent wife speedily followed her to the +grave; and Tom Smith left the village, a perfect vagabond, whom no one +cared for. Where he went, or what he did for a long time, no person +here knows. I went to other countries, and neither heard of nor saw Tom +Smith until my return home, when I found him wandering about here, a +gray-headed swearer and drunkard. He did not know me, and I never should +have known him, had not some one told me who he was. And last night I +received a letter from one of my nephews in the city, which informed +me that Tom Smith had been tried in the court, and found guilty of +stealing, and was sent to the state prison for ten years to hard work. +There I suppose he will die for he is now old; and it is awful to think +of what is then to become of his soul. Ah, my dear boys! I could not +help thinking, when I read my letter, of what that man said to me years +ago--and I have told you his story, hoping that you will remember his +words, 'Beware of the _first_ drink.' The man who does that will never +be a drunkard. And when old Uncle Philip is laid in the grave, boys, +which must be before many years, remember, as you look upon the place, +that he told you the story of Tom Smith, and charged you to 'beware of +the _first_ drink.' + +"But here come some of the boys, running towards us; I suppose they have +found something." + +"Oh, Uncle Philip! Uncle Philip! Do come with the boys this way. Under +that fence yonder there are a great many beautiful wild flowers, and a +number of bees are as busy as they can be about them; pray come and see +them." + +"Well, I will; but not so fast, boys; you forget that I am an old +man, and cannot run as you do.--So, here are, indeed, a great many +industrious little workmen." + +"What are they doing, Uncle Philip?" + +"These are _workers_ among the bees, and they are gathering the dust out +of the flowers, to work it up into what is commonly called bee-bread. +More tools here, boys!" + +"Tools, Uncle Philip! Ah, we like that: pray let us hear of them; what +are they?" + +"Why, there is a brush and a basket in the legs of these little fellows; +but they are so small that you cannot see them without a microscope." + +"What is a microscope?" + +"It is an instrument, made by fixing glasses in such a way to look +through, that small things will seem to be very large. Do you not see +how some of these little fellows are rolling themselves over in the +inside of the flowers, so that the yellow dust is sticking to them? +Now their breasts, and legs, and many other parts of their bodies are +covered with very short hairs, which catch the dust. The last joint but +one of each leg is made exactly like a brush, the hairs being longer +there than on any other part; and with these they brush off the dust, +and get it into two little heaps. The bags into which they put it, or +rather the baskets, are in the thighs of the last pair of legs. These +are hollow, so as to form a three-sided basket. The bottom of it is +smooth and shining, and appears like horn, and all around the edges are +placed very strong, thick-set hairs, like bristles." + +"What are these for?" + +"To keep things from falling out of the basket; and these bristles are +so strong that even if they heap up more than the basket will hold, the +bristles will keep it from falling. Here is a drawing of these legs. + +[Illustration: Structure of the legs of the Bee for carrying propolis +and pollen, magnified.] + +Besides carrying this dust, they also carry what is called _propolis_." + +"What is propolis, Uncle Philip?" + +"It is a gum which is found upon some trees. This they work up into +little balls, and knead it until it is a little dry, so as not to stick. +This takes the bee sometimes as much as half an hour. When the balls +are ready, she passes them backwards with her feet to the basket, puts +them in, and gives them a pat or two to make them lie close; and when +she adds more, she pats it still harder, and when the basket is full, +away she goes to the hive. But there is another curious instrument about +the bee. I mean its sting: this is like the head of a barbed or bearded +arrow. There is a sheath for it when the bee does not wish to use it; +and here is a picture of it. + +[Illustration: _a_, The sting of a Bee, magnified to show the barbed +darts; _b_, the last ring of the abdomen of a Bee opened, showing the +sting in its sheath.] + +But let us now continue our walk." + +"Well, Uncle Philip, it is really very pleasant to walk with you: it +seems as if you met nothing which could not teach us things worth +knowing." + +"Why, my dear boys, there are, as I told you once before, a great many +things which I do not know; and what I do know I am very willing to tell +you. But you may learn just as I did,--by reading, by taking notice of +things around you, and by thinking for yourselves. And I do not know any +thing more pleasant to notice than the works of God. I see his wisdom +and his goodness in every thing which he has made. I see them in the +insects, and the birds, and the larger animals; I see them in the grass, +and the flowers, and the trees; and I see them in the rocks and the +stones upon the ground. All these things are well worth our attention, +boys; the study of all these things around us is called the study of +'Natural History;' and I think it is apt to make him who loves it a +better man; at any rate, I believe that there have been very few who +have been fond of it, who have not been amiable and benevolent men. But, +hark! Do you hear that noise?" + +"Yes, Uncle Philip; it is the sound of men chopping wood in that clump +of trees." + +"No, boys; it is like the sound of a wood-cutter; and it is a +wood-cutter, but he does not use one of our hatchets." + +"What is it that he uses, then?" + +"He uses the tool which God gave him. It is a bird, boys, which you +hear: it is the woodpecker. See, there it is on yonder tree, and look, +at the foot of it, there is something like a bushel of the bird's chips +or dust. Its bill is a complete chisel; it is straight, hard, and sharp, +with edges too upon the sides. It is not a very broad chisel, but still +it is one, and used as we use ours. But the chisel is not the only +instrument of that workman. Its tongue is worth examining. It bores a +hole into a tree that is dead or decaying, to look for insects whose +nests are in the tree; and when it reaches the cell where the young +insect is, it uses its tongue to get it out, and it suits exactly for +the business. In the first place, it is so long that the bird can shoot +it out three or four inches longer than the bill is; in the next place +the end of it is tipped with a stiff, sharp, long thorn; and in the +last place, that thorn has little teeth on both sides of it, like that +which you see on the point of a fish-hook: these teeth are to keep the +insect from falling off when it puts its tongue in the hole and sticks +its sharp point into it to draw it out for food. So that besides the +chisel, the woodpecker has a spear, or lance, or arrow, barbed (as it is +called) or bearded at the point. + +"But we are some distance, boys, beyond the old mill: suppose we now +turn back towards home; I find the gnats rather troublesome." + +"So do we, Uncle Philip; they have been biting us for some time: it +would be well if there were no such tormenting things in the world." + +"I am not sure of that, boys. We may not always be able to find out the +exact use of some of these little animals; but that only shows that we +are ignorant, not that they are of no use. God would never have made +them if he had not some wise purpose in doing so: I do not believe he +ever wastes his power in making useless things. But what will you say +about gnats, when I tell you that they have a tool to work with, and a +very perfect one, too?" + +"Why, we will almost forgive them for biting us." + +"Biting you! They have not been biting with teeth: they are doctors, +boys; they have only been bleeding you, and cupping you." + +"And what have they been bleeding us with?" + +"Why, with a lancet, to be sure; what should a doctor use but a lancet +to let blood?" + +"And has the gnat really a lancet?" + +"Yes, it has: this instrument forms a part of what you may call the +tongue of the gnat: it is made up of five pieces, which are shut up in +a case, split from one end to the other; these give steadiness to the +lancet when it is used. But the reason of the pain is not so much the +wound of the lancet, as it is the fluid or poisonous juice which the +gnat puts into the wound to make the blood thin enough for the insect to +suck it up through a tube or case, which makes part of its mouth. Here +is a drawing of part of a gnat's mouth. + +[Illustration] + +And here is a picture of the lancet or knife of a horse-fly. + +[Illustration] + +"We have now reached the bridge,--and here we must part; your homes are +in one direction, and mine is in the opposite. I hope, however, that you +have learned something in our morning's walk." + +"We have, Uncle Philip, and we thank you much, and bid you, good day." + +"Good day, boys." + + + + +CONVERSATION VI. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Children about Animals that can do + Mason's Work._ + + +"Uncle Philip, we saw a very strange thing just now; as we were coming, +we saw a great many bees flying by us, and each one was carrying a +little stone." + +"That was strange, indeed. Did you find out any thing about them?" + +"We asked a man who was near what they did it for, and he said that they +carried the stones to prevent the wind, which is blowing pretty fresh, +from tossing them about too much." + +"That is a very silly story, boys, though it is a very old one: for I +have seen them carrying what you call stones when it was quite calm, and +there was no wind to blow them away. The man was very ignorant, or he +would have told you another story, which would have been both strange +and true." + +"Will you have the goodness, Uncle Philip, to tell us what it meant?" + +"Very willingly, boys. What you saw I presume were bees. You remember +that I told you there were several kinds of bees; and this one is called +the mason-bee. This kind builds his nest of mortar, and was therefore +called the mason-bee by Mr. Reaumur first, I believe." + +"Where does it get the mortar, Uncle Philip?" + +"It makes it, boys. This kind of bee may be seen flying about, picking +up sand, grain by grain, putting it into a heap, gluing them together +with a sort of gum out of her own mouth, and building with them a +foundation for her house. This little workman commonly builds against +the side of a wall between two bricks where the mortar has fallen out; +and if you should see one of the nests, it appears exactly like a lump +of dry mud which has been thrown wet upon the wall out of a cart-rut: +but when you examine it closely, you may see a great many small stones +in it, more than is common in mud: a hundred people, though, might pass +by it, and never think it was any thing more than a lump of dirt, which +had been thrown upon the wall when it was wet, and had afterward dried +there. Here is a picture of one of these nests. + +[Illustration: Exterior wall of Mason-bee's Nest.] + +You see there is a small hole in it; this leads to a cell inside about +an inch deep, and shaped exactly like a lady's thimble; the inside of +this cell is polished smooth, and appears like a wall of plaster, except +that it has little yellow stains upon it. Here is the bee that makes it. + +[Illustration: Mason-bee.--Natural size.] + +In making this mortar to build with, the bee will sometimes add earth +that is soft to its grains of sand, and when the lump is about the size +of a small shot, it takes it up and flies away with it, to work it into +the wall." + +"Does it always use sand, Uncle Philip?" + +"Not always: sometimes it takes wet clay, and will dig into a bank of +clay baked hard by the sun on the outside, so as to get that which is +wet. + +"Mr. Rennie, a gentleman in England who is very fond of watching +insects, and has found out a great many curious things about them, has +given an account of some of these bees which he noticed at work. Every +one was carrying out of a hole in the clay-bank a small lump of clay; +and on catching one of them, he found that this lump was wetter than +the clay in the hole, so that the bee had moistened it, and worked it +together, to make it stick like good mortar. These lumps too were larger +than a shot; they were as large as a garden-pea." + +"How long did it take them to work up the lump?" + +"About half a minute, Mr. Rennie says. He watched one of these little +creatures, and found that she was building on the inside wall of a +coal-house, where the bricks and mortar were left rough: she was at work +between two of the bricks where the mortar had fallen out, or where the +bee had taken it out. And the conduct of the bee at her house was very +different from what it was at the clay-bank. She was not frightened, +but went on working when any one came near the clay-bank; but at her +house she seemed afraid that it should be found out where it was. She +would alight first on the roof outside, as if she merely wished to rest +herself; and when she flew into the coal-house she would not go directly +to her nest, but would settle on a shelf, and sometimes pretend to be +examining a great many places in the wall between different bricks; and +at last, when she supposed there was no risk, or when there was nothing +to alarm her, she would fly to her nest, and go to work with all her +might in fixing her piece of clay to the wall." + +"Why did she wish her house not to be found out, Uncle Philip?" + +"Mr. Rennie supposed it was her instinct: she had seen probably some of +the insects which would destroy her young, watching her to see where +she was building; and sometimes after flying nearly to her nest with a +load, she would turn back and fly towards the clay-bank, or take a large +sweep off in another direction, and so come to her house. + +"Besides the mason-bee, boys, there is the mason-wasp, which I have +heard some persons call the _dirt-dauber_: it is very common, especially +in the southern part of the United States. It works very much like the +mason-bee, only it is apt to fix its nest under the eaves of old houses, +which I think the mason-bee never does. + +"There is also another kind of mason-wasp which will actually break a +hard brick. Mr. Rennie says that he saw one at work on a brick of a hard +yellow kind. Whether the wasp found a hole in the brick to begin with, +he did not know; but if he did he was hard at work making it larger: he +would break off a piece as large as a mustard-seed at a time. Here is +a drawing of that kind of wasp; and the insect is no larger than the +picture. + +[Illustration: Mason-wasp.--Natural size.] + +It seems wonderful that so small an insect should have so much strength. +Here is a picture of its jaws, seen through a microscope, so as to +appear a great deal larger than they really are. + +[Illustration: Jaws of Mason-wasp.--Greatly magnified.] + +"I do not know, boys, that the masons we have been talking of, show us +any _tools_ like those with which men who are masons work; but they show +us, at any rate, how to make mortar by kneading or working it together; +and they certainly show us that we were not the first who built walls. +But there is another kind of mason who works in stone. He picks out +the stones which are of proper size, and he fastens them together with +mortar really as men do." + +"Pray tell us of him, Uncle Philip." + +"I will. The insect I mean is the caddis-worm, which is to be found +sometimes in ponds, and very often in springs of fresh water. There +are several sorts of them, but the one I am thinking of now, builds a +stone house to live in. These worms are in the habit of making a little +tube, sometimes of sand, or shell, or wood, or leaves, or stones, to +live in; and their skill consists in joining these perfectly, and +making them stick together. But we are talking now of the caddis-worm +that uses stone. What the worm has to do is to make a tube out of small +stones, that shall have a hollow about as large as a wheat straw, and be +perfectly smooth inside. This is a pretty hard task--at least it would +be very hard to us. When the stone-mason wishes a stone of a particular +size or shape, and cannot find it, he takes his hammer and breaks one +until it will suit; but the caddis-worm has no hammer, and must take +the stones just as it finds them. The little insect then has to pick +out a great many stones before he gets the right one, because they have +so many little rough points about them that it is very difficult to +get those which will make the tube perfectly smooth inside. Remember, +too, that the bottom or lower side of this stone case has to be pretty +nearly smooth, so that the worm can drag it along on the bottom of the +spring or pond (for it never comes out of it), and you will see that the +picking out of the stones alone is no trifle. But besides this, it has +to fasten them together with mortar." + +"And can the worm really do this, Uncle Philip? Will not the water wash +the mortar all away?" + +"It certainly would if it were like common mortar. It was a long time +that men lived before they found out a mortar that would remain, and +grow hard under water. When they want to build a wall that is to be +under the water, they use a cement which is called pozzolana; it is +made of lava out of a volcano, and is water-proof. Our caddis-worm has +a cement too, which is better than pozzolana, and though it has been +tried, it cannot be melted or dissolved in water. Here is a drawing of +the stone nest of a caddis-worm." + +[Illustration: Stone Nest of Caddis-worm.] + +"Uncle Philip, you said that sometimes these worms built their nests +of other things besides stones; let us hear something of them, if you +please." + +"Very willingly, boys. Some build of shells: here are pictures of their +nests. + +[Illustration: Shell Nests of Caddis-worms.] + +Some build of leaves, and others of pieces of reed or light bark. + +[Illustration: Reed Nest of Caddis-worm.] + +And a curious thing about those which build of light pieces of bark +or reed is this, that they will make the top-piece come over so as to +hide their heads, and prevent you from seeing them. Some build of sand; +and then as the house would be so light that the water running from +the spring might wash it down and carry it away, the wonderful little +creature takes care to anchor it by fastening a pretty large stone to it +when it has nearly finished it. And as the worm anchors it when it is +too light, so it lightens it when it is too heavy, by fixing a bit of +light wood or hollow straw to it to buoy it up." + +[Illustration: Sand Nest, balanced with a Stone.] + +[Illustration: Nest of Caddis-worm, balanced with Straws.] + +"Well, this is truly a wonderful insect. Uncle Philip." + +"Truly so indeed, boys. In all these cases it uses its water-proof +cement, and if you break its house to pieces, and will patiently watch, +you may see it build another. The insect always lives with its head out +of doors, and its body inside; so that its head is firm and hard, while +its body is soft." + +"Uncle Philip," said one of the larger boys, "there is one thing I have +been thinking about, as you have been talking: these little masons have +no trowel, but I believe I know of one animal that uses something like +that tool." + +"Ah! What animal is it?" + +"Why, I was reading the other day something about the beavers building +their dams and their houses, and the book said that they built their +houses of logs first, and then plastered them with mud, and that they +used their tails for trowels." + +"I am very glad to find that you remember what you read; but I am sorry +that your book did not tell you the truth. There have been very strange +stories told about the beaver; and these stories have been taken from +one book and printed in another, so that an untrue account has gone down +for a great many years. The beaver is very ingenious, but is not quite +so much of a mason as you suppose." + +"Well, Uncle Philip, will you tell us the truth about it?" + +"Yes, boys, I will, so far as I know it myself. I have seen these +animals, for they were once a great deal more common in our country than +they are now; and many of the stories told of them are not true. But +before I begin, let me tell you of one book which I think does tell the +plain truth about them; and the truth is curious enough." + +"What book is it, Uncle Philip?" + +"It is a book written on American Natural History, by Doctor John +Godman. I knew him, boys, and a most excellent man he was. He is now +dead--and he died a Christian. The book he wrote you will find worth +reading, when you get old enough to understand it. But now for the +beaver. + +"His tail is very broad and flat at the end, and might be used very well +for a trowel; but when he builds his house he does not cut down trees, +and place them first, and then fill up the cracks with mud-mortar; but +all the sticks and mud (and stones too when the beaver can get them), +are first mixed up together, and the beaver builds his house with this +from the very foundation. As soon as he has placed a lump of this stuff +upon the wall, he turns round and gives it a blow with his flat tail; +and that, boys, is all he does with his tail for a trowel. Sometimes +he slaps his tail upon the water when he is swimming; and some persons +have supposed that this was done by the king, or ruler, to call his +workmen. It may be so, but I do not believe it, because they almost +always dive as soon as they have slapped the water; and I think it is +probably a part of their motion in diving. In the autumn they cover the +outside of their houses with mud, and they walk over it as they are at +work, and their tails drag along upon it; and this I expect made persons +first suppose that they were plastering it, with the tail for a trowel. +When they are caught and kept, boys, they still keep up this fashion of +slapping with the tail; so that I rather think it is part of the nature +of the animal. + +"At another time, perhaps, I will tell you more about the beaver; but it +is now late, and I must bid you good morning." + +"Good day, Uncle Philip." + + + + +CONVERSATION VII. + + _Uncle Philip talks to the Children about Animals that throw + Dirt with a Spade; and about an Animal with a Hook; and about one + that is a Wire-drawer._ + + +"Boys, I have some men at work digging a small ditch for me, and I wish +to see them; will you go with me?" + +"Oh, yes--very gladly, Uncle Philip; for you will be sure to tell us of +something curious before we come home." + +"Come on, then: yonder are the men at work; they have been very +industrious, I see." + +"But, Uncle Philip, look! There is one of the men putting a bottle to +his mouth. Is that right?" + +"Yes, boys, right enough; for the bottle has nothing but molasses and +water in it; and the man is thirsty, I suppose. I would not employ him +if he brought a bottle of spirits out with him, for two reasons. In the +first place, I think that I ought not to encourage a man who gets drunk, +by employing him; for I would rather give my money to a sober man who +will not spend it for rum and brandy, but will take care of his family: +and, in the second place, a drunkard would not work faithfully without +being watched all the time. I never knew a drunkard who was really and +honestly an industrious man." + +"See, Uncle Philip, how strong that man is; what a large spadeful of +dirt he throws out!" + +"Yes, I see, boys: do you think that men had the first spades in the +world?" + +"Ah! now you are going to tell us something about tools among animals: +that is good; we like to hear of that. What animal is it that has a +spade?" + +"Oh, a very common animal indeed in some parts of our country. The +country people call it a _woodchuk_, and sometimes a _ground-hog_: +its right name is the marmot; and as there are several sorts, ours is +called the Maryland marmot, to distinguish it; but it is in New-York, +Connecticut, New-Jersey. Pennsylvania, Virginia, and some of the other +states, as well as in Maryland. This is rather a mischievous animal, +and does harm to the clover-fields; but it is in making his house that +he uses his spade." + +"Then he digs his house in the ground. Uncle Philip?" + +"Yes; he burrows, or digs his nest in banks of earth, or on the sides +of hills; and he has sense enough to make the passage to the inside +upwards, instead of downwards, so that water cannot run in. In digging +soft earth he uses his fore-paws to loosen the dirt, for his fore-legs +are very strong; and if the ground is hard he will use his teeth too. +As he gets farther in, he throws the dirt with his fore-paws under his +belly, and when he has a heap gathered, he balances himself on his +fore-feet, and begins to throw it out with his spades." + +"What are his spades, Uncle Philip?" + +"His hinder feet, boys, which are very broad, and just fit to take up +the dirt as a spade does, and to throw it from him: there is a skin +which grows between the toes of his hinder feet, so that he can spread +them out when he chooses, like a duck's foot." + +"But, Uncle Philip, perhaps they are made so for the sake of _swimming_; +the duck's are." + +"That is a sensible thought, boys. Always think for yourselves; and when +you make a mistake, try again: everybody is mistaken sometimes. Let it +teach you to be modest and humble; but do not be afraid to think again. +A person who is always thinking cannot _always_ think wrong. Now you +suppose the marmot's feet may be made like a duck's for swimming: let me +tell you something else, and we shall see what you will think then. The +marmot hates a rain as much as you would if you had no umbrella; he very +seldom even drinks water, and then only a little; and you cannot drive +him into a stream or pond; he is afraid of it. What do you think now?" + +"Why, Uncle Philip, we think that he is no swimmer." + +"Very true, boys: so his feet, then, you now think, were made for +spades, and not for paddles?" + +"We do. Can you tell us any thing more about this animal, Uncle Philip?" + +"Oh yes. The burrows or holes of the marmot run a great distance under +ground, and end in several chambers or rooms, according to the number +that is to live in them. They make beds in them of dry leaves, or +grass, or any thing soft and dry which they can find. They cram their +mouths full of it to carry, when they are making their nests. As soon as +cold weather begins, the animal goes into his house, and stops up the +hole on the inside; and there he stays till the warm weather has come +again. + +"He is quite a thief at times. I saw one once which a gentleman had +tamed, and he played about the yard; but every thing that he could get +hold of which was fit to make his bed of, he was sure to steal, and +carry into his hole under ground. When clothes were hung out to dry +he would take them off the line, and as soon as any were missed the +washerwoman knew very well where they were. She kept a long stick with +a hook at the end of it, and with this she drew them out of the burrow. +He soon found out what it meant, and whenever she used the stick, it was +necessary first to tie him up; for he did not choose to have his bed +spoiled, and would run to the hole and try to get in, and prevent the +clothes from being drawn out. One day he stole eight pairs of stockings, +a towel, and a little girl's frock; and he carried them into his burrow +as far as six feet from the entrance. + +"But, boys, as we have begun this morning upon the old subject of tools +among animals. I will tell you of something which, though not exactly +a tool, is a very useful instrument, and is found belonging to a very +common creature. Did you ever take notice of a bat?" + +"Oh yes, Uncle Philip, often, as they were flying about in a room at +night, but not nearer." + +"Then you never saw what I mean, I expect. Our common bat, boys, has +two very excellent hooks; one on each of what you call its wings: I +say what you call its wings, because the bat is not really a bird, but +a quadruped; that is, an animal with four feet: and when it is on the +ground, any one may see that it is a four-footed animal. If a monkey's +paw should be flattened out very much, it would be something like a +bat's paw or hand. The long finger-bones are just like the sticks of an +umbrella; there is a thin skin between them, and they stretch it out, so +that the air underneath will keep them up. When they are on the ground +all this is folded up. Their hinder feet have five toes, all small, and +ending in sharp claws. On the fore-feet there is but one finger which +the bat can use much, because the others are like umbrella-sticks, as I +told you; and the end of that one is a hook. Here is a picture, in which +you can see it plainly. + +[Illustration] + +When the bat is on the ground, it is hard work for it to get along. At +first it will reach forward a little to one side the hooked end of its +fore-leg, and stick it in the ground; then it draws its hind-legs under +its belly, and raising itself up, just tumbles forward its whole body. +At the next step it stretches out the other fore-leg, and hooks it, as +it did before, and drawing itself up, tumbles forward again. The bat +does not like a level place, because it cannot raise itself in the air +from it. When they rest, they hang by the hooks; and here is a drawing +of one, resting. In the other picture which I showed you just now the +bat was flying." + +[Illustration] + +"Uncle Philip, we did not know before that bats were such curious +things; we always thought that they were birds; but if these pictures +are like them, these hooks are as good as fish-hooks." + +"The pictures, boys, are very much like the animal, and the hooks are +just as plain as they seem to be in the drawings. But how often do you +suppose that you have seen a bat?" + +"Oh, many hundreds of times; for they are very common." + +"True, boys; and yet you never knew before that they had hooks about +them. Suppose that everybody had done as you have, just passed by the +bats, without taking notice of them; I could not have told you then +what strange creatures they are, for no person would have known any +thing about them. You see, then, that men may have eyes, and yet not see +things; because they will not look for them. Use your eyes, boys; God +made them to be used." + +"But, Uncle Philip, bats are such ugly things! and they can bite, too. +We are afraid of them." + +"Ugly, boys! And what of that? Will you look at nothing but what is +handsome? If the bat could think and speak, I expect he would call +you very ugly. But it is foolish, boys, to be afraid of these smaller +animals. There are many creatures which might hurt you, and I would +advise you to keep out of their way: but it is silly to be afraid of +every poor little insect or animal which you see. I have seen a large +boy cry when he saw a poor little caterpillar or bug near him. Now +there are very few insects, indeed, which can or will hurt you; and a +great many of them you may watch without touching them at all. And I +think that he is a wicked and cruel boy who kills every poor bug that he +sees, merely because he is stronger than the bug. It would be a great +deal kinder and wiser in the boy to notice what the bug was doing, for +then he might learn something worth knowing." + +"But, Uncle Philip, is it wrong to kill _spiders_?" + +"Spiders! Why, boys, the spider is one of the very last of these little +creatures that I should wish to kill. There is not a more curious little +animal in the world, nor one that will pay a man better for watching its +motions. At some other time I will tell you all about spiders and ants, +for I have noticed them a great deal: but now, just to show you how much +you would lose if you should kill all the spiders, I will talk with you +about a tool which man uses, and which he might have learned to make +from a spider." + +"Oh, do tell us; what is it?" + +"The next time you go to Mr. Brown's, the silversmith, ask him to show +you his plate for drawing out wire. Tell him that I told you to ask +him, and he will show it to you. You will see a flat piece of steel with +holes made through it in regular lines, beginning with a large size, and +growing smaller and smaller until the last is very small indeed. + +"Now the wire is drawn through these holes; beginning at the larger +ones, and passing every time through the next smaller one, it stretches +the wire out, until it becomes as small as the workman wishes it to be. + +"The spider is a wire-drawer, too; for it has a contrivance to draw +out its threads, and make them smaller or larger, as it pleases. If +you will look at a very large spider, you can see with your naked eye, +just at the end of its body, four, and sometimes six, little knobs like +teats, with a circle around them. These are its spinners. Each one of +these small knobs, inside of that circle, is so full of little holes or +tubes, that Mr. Reaumur (of whom I told you before, you will recollect) +calculated that a place no larger than the point of a pin had a thousand +of these little holes in it. These holes are sometimes so very small, +that another gentleman,[8] who looked at spiders through a microscope +very often, thought it would take four millions of the threads which +came through those holes to make one thread as thick as a hair of his +beard. Here is a picture of a spider hanging by a thread coming out of +its spinner, or, as it is sometimes called, its spinneret." + +[Illustration] + +"Then, Uncle Philip, the spider does not spin its thread all at once?" + +"No, boys. Fine as you see that thread to be, it is not one single line, +but it is made of many thousands joined together. The spiders have +little bags of gum within their bodies, near their spinners, and out of +these they draw the threads: when they have come out about the tenth +part of an inch, they join them all into one with their claws; and they +can shut their spinners when they please, so as to make the threads +longer or shorter; and they can break them off, too, when they wish." + +"But, Uncle Philip, we do not see why there should be so many threads to +make up one." + +"I cannot exactly tell you, boys, why there are so many; but probably +to make the thread dry quicker, by letting the air touch so many parts +of it: and I expect, too, the thread is stronger, because we know that +in two pieces of cord of one size, if one is made of several smaller +cords put together, it will be stronger than the other, which was spun +all at once. The following is a picture of the spider's spinnerets, and +some of the threads as it appears through the microscope; only you must +recollect that _all_ the threads are not drawn: there are a great many +more than you see in the picture." + +[Illustration: Spider's Threads coming from the Spinnerets.] + + +FOOTNOTE: + +[8] Leuwenhoek. + + + + +CONVERSATION VIII. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Children of a Door, with a Hinge and + Spring to it, made by a Spider; and shows them Pictures to let them + see the Difference between God's Work and Man's._ + + +"I was thinking, boys, last night, of what you said about killing the +poor spiders; and I was sorry that I did not then recollect one thing +about a spider which I could have told you, and which would have made +you like the poor little creatures better. However, I determined that +when you came to see me again, it should be the first thing I would tell +you, if you wished to hear it." + +"Wish to hear it! Why, Uncle Philip, we always wish to hear you tell us +of any thing that you please to talk about. You have told us of a great +many strange things, about which we knew nothing before; and we will +thank you to tell us the story about the spider." + +"Very well, boys; you shall hear it. Pray, do you not think that it is +a piece of difficult work to make a door to a house, and to make hinges +to hang it with, and to fit it so nicely that when it is done you cannot +see the joints where the door is shut?" + +"Indeed it is a piece of very hard work. Uncle Philip, and it takes +the carpenter a long time to do it; and it is hard work, too, for the +blacksmith to make the hinges. But what has that to do with the story +about the spider?" + +"Patience, boys, patience: you shall know presently. Never be in too +great a hurry: it is a bad plan. I have always noticed that those +persons who hurried most, went slowest in the end. Another question I +wish to ask you is this,--do you not think it was hard work for the +first man who ever made a spring, and put it on a door, to make it shut +itself again when it had been opened?" + +"Yes, it was so: and the man who does it now gets well paid for it." + +"Very good, boys. And now what will you say when I tell you that a poor +little spider did all these things long before man did?" + +"What, Uncle Philip! A spider make a door with a hinge and a spring to +make it shut itself!" + +"Yes, boys; a spider. Do you think he deserves to be killed for doing +it?" + +"Oh no, no! But pray tell us all about it. Uncle Philip." + +"This kind of spider, then, boys, I saw in Jamaica, and I saw its house, +too. It is called the mason-spider. The nest or house which I saw was a +tube made of very hard clay, about six inches long, and an inch across, +and was a little bent at one end. The inside of this tube was lined +all the way through with a kind of soft silky stuff, something like +silk-paper, but stronger, and it was of a yellowish colour; but the +curious part was the door. I never saw any thing which an insect had +made more strange than that. This door was round, about as large as a +quarter of a dollar, and was a little hollowed on the upper side like +a saucer; the inside of it was rounded like the outside of the saucer. +It was of the same stuff with the lining of the nest, and seemed to be +made of more than a dozen pieces of that lining, put one on the top of +another: it was shaped so, too, that the inside layers or pieces were +the broadest, and the outside ones became smaller and smaller, except +at the hinge, which was about an inch long. All the pieces in the door +were joined into this hinge, and then the hinge was joined and worked +into the lining in the tube. That made the hinge the thickest and +strongest part of the whole work. How the spider made it so, boys, I +cannot tell; but so it was, that this hinge not only was a hinge, but +was so good a spring, that whenever the door was opened it would shut +itself immediately: and when shut, it fitted so nicely that it was very +difficult to see the place of joining." + +"Well, Uncle Philip, this is most wonderful! But will not the hinge wear +out at last?" + +"Wonderful as it is, boys, it is all true. As to its wearing out, I +cannot tell you; but I know that a gentleman who had one, said that his +friends were very anxious to see it; and there were so many of them, +that he had to open the door and let it shut itself many hundreds of +times to satisfy them; and it did not hurt the spring at all." + +"Uncle Philip, we shall not kill the poor spiders any more." + +"A good resolution, boys: only let them alone, and they will not hurt +you. There is another kind of mason-spider, which I never saw, but I +have read of it. It is found in the south of France; I did not happen, +however, to meet with one while I was in that beautiful country. This +kind digs a gallery or hole under ground as much as a foot deep. She +lines it with a sort of silk glued to the walls, and makes her door, +which is round also, with many layers of mud or earth all kneaded and +bound together with some of her silk. On the outside, the door is flat +and rough, to make it appear like the dirt around it, and hide it; on +the inside it is shaped like the inside of the door of the other spider +I have told you about; and all covered with a coat of fine silk. The +threads of this silk are left long on one side, and fastened to the +upper part of the hole; and these make the hinge. There is no spring to +this; but when the spider pushes its door open and comes out, it shuts +again by its own weight. If this door is forced open by any one when +the spider is at home, she will catch hold of it and pull it in; and +sometimes even when it is half-opened; she will snatch it out of the +hand. Here is a picture which shows the nest open, and another of it +shut; and there is a drawing of the spider, too. + +[Illustration: A, the Nest shut; B, the Nest open; C, the Spider; D, the +Eyes, magnified; E, F, Parts of the Foot and Claw magnified.] + +A gentleman says, in a book which he wrote about insects, that he once +broke one of these doors off, to see what the spider would do." + +"And what did she do, Uncle Philip?" + +"She made another door; but took very good care not to put any hinge +to it, for fear she should be disturbed again. But when she thought +all danger was gone, she could then put a hinge to it, you know; and +probably she did." + +"Well, Uncle Philip, we thank you again for this account of the spiders, +and shall always look at them hereafter with more pleasure. Who would +have thought that we should ever find doors and hinges among such little +creatures, and these too so very well made and fitted!" + +"Why, boys, I have noticed the works of God very often; and I will now +tell you one thing which I always found. It is this: a piece of the very +best work which man can make is really coarse when you compare it with +the work of God. The poor spider that we have talked about, when she +makes her door, makes it to fit perfectly; because in doing that one +thing, God made her to know perfectly how to do it. The knowledge is +God's, boys; but the work is the spider's: but in making any thing else, +except about her house, the spider knows nothing." + +"Uncle Philip, you told us once that you were very fond of watching all +sorts of dumb animals, and we think now that we know the reason." + +"Well, what is it?" + +"It is because you see so much of God's knowledge in them; is it not?" + +"Yes, my dear boys, it is. When I look at many things which man makes +or does, I think to myself, 'Now this thing is likely to have a mixture +of sense and nonsense in it; the sense is God's, and the nonsense is +man's.' But when I look at a thing made by one of the dumb creatures for +its own comfort and safety, like the spider's house, with its door and +hinge, for instance, I say to myself, 'Now here is the wisdom of God, +without any of man's nonsense.' And yet, boys, men are far wiser than +any other animal in this world." + +"But, Uncle Philip, you said that a piece of man's best work was really +coarse: some things must be neat, we should think. Is the point of a +needle coarse? It does not seem so." + +"Boys, you have mentioned the very thing which was in my mind when I +spoke. The point of the smallest needle is very coarse. You have heard +me talk of the microscope. I told you it was a set of glasses, so +fixed that when you looked through them, it made small things appear +very large: on some other day, perhaps, I will let you look through +my microscope for yourselves; but now, I just wish to show you the +difference between the work of God and that of man. Let us go home, +and I will show you some pictures I made, and you can see in them the +difference. Last winter, you know, was very cold, and there was a great +deal of snow: one day, while the snow was falling pretty fast, I was +obliged to go out; and as the flakes of snow fell upon the sleeve of my +coat (which was black), I thought they had a curious shape, and did not +all appear alike; so when I returned home I caught some of the flakes, +and looked at them through my microscope. They were so beautiful that I +made pictures of them; and as we have now reached home, just let me step +into my study, and I will bring them to you. Here they are, boys." + +[Illustration: Snow-flakes, seen through a Microscope.] + +"Oh, Uncle Philip! these are very pretty; they are all so different, +too!" + +"Yes, boys, I picked out different ones to draw: when I was done, I +began to look into my books to find out what others had written about +this thing; and I found that a gentleman named Dr. Hook had seen more +than a hundred different shapes and sizes of these flakes. This is God's +work, boys. + +"Now I have brought you out another picture: it is the point of a very +small needle, seen through the very same microscope which showed me the +snow-flakes. Just look at it, boys. This is _man's_ work." + +[Illustration: The Point of a very small Needle, seen through the +Microscope.] + + + + +CONVERSATION IX. + + _Uncle Phillip tells the Boys a Story about a Philosopher and + his Kite.--He tells them, too, about Ants that have Awls, and build + Cities, and Stairs, and Bridges, and many other things._ + + +"So, boys, you have come again to see me. I am very glad of it; for as +this is a leisure day, we shall have time enough to talk: but what is +that you have there? Oh, I see now; it is a kite." + +"Yes, Uncle Philip; it is a French kite that we have been making, and we +have come to ask you to go out with us this morning and see us fly it." + +"Very good, boys; I will go. I am an old man now; but I remember that I +was a boy once, and loved to make a kite sail. It always makes me happy +to see boys and girls playing about in health, provided they are not +wasting time, and their play is not to do harm to anybody or any thing. +So come on; we will go out upon the green common yonder, behind the +church, and I think we shall have a grand kite-flying, for the wind is +about right. + +"There, boys! up she goes! Let out the string. I think she behaves very +well; there, she is done pitching about: now she is steady; see how she +mounts. Ah, that is a very good kite." + +"Uncle Philip, I was reading a book yesterday which said, 'A philosopher +once found great help from a kite.' What did it mean?" + +"Do you know what a philosopher is?" + +"Yes, Uncle Philip; a philosopher is the same thing with a very wise +man, is it not?" + +"That is pretty near the meaning. Philosopher means a person who loves +wisdom; and such a person, you know, will always be trying to get +knowledge; and a person who is always trying to get knowledge is apt to +be a wise and learned man." + +"Well, how could a kite help a man to get learning? Did he read the old +newspapers it was made of? I cannot see any other way." + +"But there may be another way without your seeing it, you know. The +philosopher whom your book meant was Dr. Franklin. Did you ever hear of +him?" + +"Oh, yes; he was born in Boston, and was a printer, and afterward became +a very great man." + +"That is true. He was a man of excellent sense, who both read and +thought a great deal; and in the war which the people of this country +had with England to get their freedom. Dr. Franklin's sound sense was of +great use to his countrymen." + +"But, Uncle Philip, how did the kite help him?" + +"I will tell you. If you take a proper piece of glass, or sulphur, or +sealing-wax, or rosin, and rub it for some time, and then hold it near +to small bits of thread or paper, the thread or paper will fly towards +the glass or sealing-wax, and stick to it for a short time. That which +makes them fly to the glass and stick there, is called _electricity_. +After this was found out, men went on slowly finding out more and more, +until at last a man named Hawksbee made a large machine with a glass +barrel, which could be turned around by a handle like that which you see +to a grindstone; and with this machine (which I will show you at some +other time) he managed to get a great deal of this electricity, and it +would shoot off in sparks, which appeared like little lightning. + +"And now, boys, what I am going to tell you will show you the use of a +man's eyes. Dr. Franklin knew all about the electrical machine, and was +very fond of drawing off the sparks from it, to see what he could find +out about it. And when he saw it appeared so much like lightning, and +could feel too a spark strike his hand a smart blow, he began to think +that perhaps it was exactly the same thing with the lightning which came +from the clouds; so he determined, if he could, to find out whether it +was or not. He was a great deal troubled for some time to know how he +should get down any of the lightning from the clouds; until at last, +one day, he saw a boy flying a kite; and that showed him the way. So +he took a large silk handkerchief, and stretching it upon sticks, soon +made his kite; and not long afterward, when he saw a black thunder-cloud +coming up, he took his kite and walked out of Philadelphia (where he +then lived) into the fields, and sent his kite up. He had a string like +yours, made of hemp, and to the end of this he tied an iron key, and +then fastening it to the post of a shed by a silk cord, which he tied +to the end of the hemp string, he got under the shed, and waited a long +time. Now, boys, if he had been impatient, all his work would have been +of no use. But he even waited, after a very heavy cloud had passed over +his kite without giving it any of its lightning. At last, when he was +almost ready to give it up and go home, he saw some loose threads on the +hemp string rise and stand up straight, just as he knew the electrical +machine would make them do. He directly put his knuckle to the iron key, +and off came the spark, which he knew at once was exactly like the spark +which he could get from the machine. And so, boys, he found out what +he wished to know; and this was the way in which the kite helped the +philosopher." + +"Well, Uncle Philip, this is really a very pretty story about Dr. +Franklin and his kite. Was anybody with him?" + +"Nobody but his son; he took him out to help him raise the kite. But, +boys, I see the other lads are walking on towards the bridge with our +kite; let us follow them, and as we go, I will tell you of an electric +_animal_." + +"Oh, we shall be very glad to hear of him." + +"Listen, then. There is a kind of eel, which when it is touched will +give a very hard blow, just like an electric shock, to the person who +touches it." + +"Is there any spark, Uncle Philip?" + +"No, boys; there is no spark,--but the blow is tremendous. I remember +reading of one of these fish which was caught in a net, and a foolish +sailor would take it up, though he was told it would hurt him. The fish +shocked him so violently that he fell down in a fit, and it was a long +time before he came to his senses; and his story was, that the moment he +touched the fish, 'the cold ran swiftly up his arm into his body, and +pierced him to the heart.' The fish has this power to defend itself, and +to kill other fish for food." + +"But, Uncle Philip, how do they ever manage to catch them alive? I +should think they would be shocked to death." + +"I will tell you. A very sensible traveller and learned man[9] gives an +account of the manner in which they catch them, by a way called, by the +South American Indians, 'fishing with horses.'" + +"Fishing with horses! What does that mean?" + +"The savannas, or large open plains, in South America have a great many +wild horses and mules running over them. M. Humboldt says that the +Indians caught about thirty of these, and drove them into the pond where +the electrical eels were. The horses made a great noise, and stirred up +the mud with their hoofs, and this brought up the eels from the bottom +in a great rage. They were very large, and looked more like water-snakes +than like eels; and rising to the top of the water, they crowded under +the bellies of the horses and mules, and began to shock them. The poor +horses would try to get out of the pond; but the Indians, with spears +and long reeds, would stand around to hinder them from coming out: some +of them, too, would climb upon the trees around the banks, and get out +upon the branches which were over the pond, and by crying out aloud, +and using their long reeds, kept the horses in the pond. The eels would +continue to shock them with tremendous blows, and a great many of the +poor creatures were either stunned or killed, and would sink. Those not +killed would pant and raise their heads, while their eyes would show +their pain, and they would try to get out. The Indians still drove them +back, but some few escaped, and reached the shore, stumbling at every +step, and would stretch themselves on the bank, tired out, and benumbed +in their limbs by the shocks they had received. M. Humboldt says that in +less than five minutes after the fight began, two horses were drowned; +and he thought that the end of it would be, that every horse which did +not get out of the water would be killed: but at last the eels became +tired, and began to disperse. This is just what the Indians wish. They +know that the eels have spent so much of their electrical power that +they will need a long rest. It takes them a great while to get back +their strength; so that if, the next day after such a fight, you send in +more horses, they cannot kill one. When the eels, tired out in this way, +begin to separate, they will swim to the edge of the pond, and there the +Indians take them with small harpoons fastened to long cords. When the +cords are dry, the Indian feels no shock in raising the eel out of the +water. In this way M. Humboldt got five, all alive, and very little +hurt. But here we are at the bridge." + +"Uncle Philip, suppose we sit down under the shade of this tree, and +rest." + +"I am willing, boys; but take care of the damp ground: there is an old +piece of timber that the men have taken out of the bridge, for I see +they have been mending it; we will sit on that." + +"But, Uncle Philip, what shall we do with the kite? shall we draw it +down?" + +"Do with it! Why, just tie the end of your string to that root, and it +will take care of itself in this wind." + +"What a monstrous piece of timber this is. Uncle Philip! It must have +taken a great many men to move it; and see--there are some larger ones +still in the bridge. It must be a difficult work to build a bridge." + +"Yes, it is so: but there are bridges much harder to build than our +little wooden one here. Some are built of stone, and it takes years to +finish them. None but a good workman can plan and build a good stone +bridge: but I know a little fellow that can make as good a bridge as +anybody; and yet no man ever taught him the trade." + +"Ah! now we know what is coming. You are going to tell us of a dumb +animal that can make a bridge." + +"Yes, I am: and a small animal it is, too, for it is an ant." + +"What sort of an ant is it?" + +"It is called the white ant; and as there is a great deal that is very +curious about this insect. I think that I had better tell you all about +it at once." + +"Pray do, Uncle Philip; you know you promised to tell us about ants." + +"True, boys; and I like to keep my promises. In my story about these +ants, I think, if you attend, you will find more tools; and besides +that, you will hear of a great many things which man makes, and which +show matters quite as strange as any of which I have yet told you." + +"What are they, Uncle Philip?" + +"They are the building of something like a city, and bridges, and +stairs, and roads, and tunnels under ground, and--" + +"Oh, let us hear--let us hear! We have heard nothing equal to this yet." + +"Well, then, I begin by telling you that these insects are very common +in Africa, and in the East Indies, and are troublesome enough, for they +eat almost every thing but metal and glass. They love wood, though, +better than any thing else; and they are so numerous that they destroy +it wonderfully fast. They are very cunning, too; they never eat the +outside of the wood first, but will work upon the inside, so as to leave +the outer part not thicker than a piece of pasteboard. But the curious +things I meant to tell you were about their city; so I will go on to +that. When they first begin to build you will see little hills shaped +like a sugar-loaf, and rising up above the ground about a foot, or a +little more. Here is a picture of them. + +[Illustration] + +The highest of these little hills is always in the middle; and they go +on building more and more, and making them all higher, still keeping +the tallest one in the centre. When they have made them as high as +they wish, then they fill in the spaces between the tops of all these +sugar-loaf hills, so as to make one roof over all. Here is a picture of +one finished. + +[Illustration] + +After this is done, they take down nearly all of the little sugar-loaf +hills inside; for they only wanted them for a scaffold to support the +top while they were building it." + +"Uncle Philip, what is all this built of?" + +"It is built of clay, which the ant makes almost as hard as stone." + +"Are they strong, Uncle Philip? + +"So strong, boys, that five men may stand on them; and it is a common +thing for the wild bulls to get upon them and look out, while the rest +of the herd are feeding below." + +"Why, how high are they?" + +"Oh, of different heights; some as many as five or six feet, others are +twelve, and the largest are as high as twenty feet, and would easily +hold a dozen men." + +"And how large are the ants, Uncle Philip?" + +"Not above a quarter of an inch high as they stand. Now, boys, just +compare the size of one of these nests with the size of the ant that +made it; and it is quite as large in proportion as the city of New-York +is when compared to a man's size; yes, it is a great deal larger in +proportion. These nests are sometimes five hundred times as high as the +ants which build them: now suppose that men built their houses five +hundred times as high as themselves, and as large at the foundation in +proportion to their height, what monstrous buildings they would be! But +let me go on. This outside shell, which I have been telling you how they +make, is nothing but the wall of the city; the buildings are all inside +of that." + +"But, Uncle Philip, there is one thing I have been thinking of which +would make it more like a city still. But I hardly think they can have +that." + +"What is it?" + +"Why in a city, you know, where there are a great many people, there are +a great many trades: some do one thing and some do another to get money." + +"Yes, that is true; and I am glad that you mentioned it, because it +reminds me of one thing I intended to tell you about these ants. Now, +it would not be reasonable, you know, to expect the ants to have many +different kinds of business to do, as the people in New-York have; but +still, boys, they are not all alike, and they do have work of different +kinds. There are in the city of the white ants a king and a queen, and +soldiers, and labourers, or workmen, and all these are different. Here +are pictures which will show them all to you. This is the king. + +[Illustration: King of the Termites.] + +At first he has four wings, but soon loses them. He never grows any +larger after he loses them. The king may be known by his having two +large eyes. Here is the queen. She is the mother of the whole city; +and you see what a large body she has. It is full of eggs, and eighty +thousand will come from her in twenty-four hours. She also has two eyes. + +[Illustration: Queen of the Termites.] + +"Here is a soldier: he has a large head, armed with two hooks, shaped +like a crooked awl, and very sharp. + +[Illustration: Soldier of the Termites.] + +"For every one of these soldiers there are about one hundred labourers. +The soldiers do the fighting; and though they are perfectly blind, they +fight well, and are very brave. The following is a picture, too, of the +soldiers' awls, seen through the microscope, to show you how sharp they +are. + +[Illustration] + +"And here is a picture of the labourer; the largest part of the city is +made up of the labourers,--which shows us, I think, boys, that there is +more need of working than there is of fighting. + +[Illustration: Labourer of the Termites.] + +This class, like the soldiers, is blind, and scarcely ever go into the +open air; their work is mostly under ground or in the inside of wood. +Both, however, do come out when their city is attacked and broken: but I +will tell you of that presently." + + +FOOTNOTE: + +[9] M. Humboldt. + + + + +CONVERSATION X. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Children more about the White Ants._ + + +"Now, boys, as I have told you about the kinds of different work which +these ants do, we will go on, and I will tell you about the inside +of the city. The first thing to be done is to build a house for the +king and queen. This is the first house built in the city, and always +stands in the centre, directly under the point of the roof or top of +the outside wall. It is built nearly on a level with the ground, and is +shaped very much like a long oven, or the half of an egg split through +the long way. The floor is exactly level, and about an inch thick; the +roof is about the same thickness. The doors are on a level with the +floor, and just large enough to let one of the labourers go in." + +"Why, Uncle Philip, how do the king and queen ever get out then." + +"They never do get out, boys; they live in that house always, and they +are not the first kings and queens who have found that a palace is +sometimes a prison. Just around this house of the king and queen are +other houses built of clay, arched at the top, and of different shapes. +These are for the servants or labouring ants, who remove the eggs of +the queen as fast as she discharges them. The soldiers also live in +these houses. Next to these are the magazines, that is, the houses where +they keep their food, such as dry juices of trees and gums; and mixed +up with these are the nurseries. These are made by the labourers, and +are different from all the other buildings, for they are made of wood +gnawed or broken into fine threads, and joined together with some kind +of gum, and around each of them there is a case of clay. These nurseries +are to carry the eggs into for the young ants to be hatched. Between +all these different houses or parts there are thousands of galleries +or ways, which run among them and separate them from each other, and +these may be called the streets of the city. These streets run in all +directions, and extend as far as the outside wall; and houses are built +on top of houses, and streets run over streets, until they reach up +as high as two-thirds of the inside wall. But under the top of their +outside case they always leave a large open place that is never filled +up with houses. And around this space they will build three or four +large arches, sometimes two or three feet high; these I suppose are to +prevent the houses from falling in towards the centre of the city, which +is an open space, and on the other side they are fastened to the outside +walls, so that these houses are very firm." + +"And what is all this made of, Uncle Philip?" + +"All of clay, except the nurseries, which I told you were made of wood +and gum. Over the house of the king and queen there is a sort of flat +floor, some distance above it, with nurseries and magazines between the +under side of it and the top of the queen's house. This floor will not +let the water through it, so as to wet the palace where the king and +queen live, but will turn it off into large trenches or gutters under +ground, of which I will speak directly. The bridge I told you of they +build from this floor in the open space, directly under the top or dome +of the outside wall; it rises up and is joined to some hole in the side +wall of the houses above it." + +"How large is it, Uncle Philip?" + +"Why, sometimes it is half an inch broad, a quarter of an inch thick, +and ten inches long; all made of clay, so that it is very strange how +they manage to join it to the wall without its falling down by its own +weight while they were building it." + +"And what do you suppose this bridge is for, Uncle Philip?" + +"Why, I think there can be no doubt what it is for. When the city has +been growing for some time, some of the nurseries will be very high up +above the queen's house; but the labourers have to carry her eggs into +them, no matter how far off they may be. If they carry them through all +the streets, they will have to walk as many as fifteen or twenty feet, +for it would be five or six feet in a perfectly straight line, and these +streets are very crooked; but if they make a bridge in the open space +in the centre, they can then go from the queen's house over the bridge, +and get to the upper nurseries without travelling more than two feet. So +they made the bridge to shorten the way, to be sure." + +"This is very wonderful: but you said something about large trenches or +gutters underground; what are they, Uncle Philip?" + +"These galleries lead from the city under ground, and are as large as +the bore of a large cannon; they are thirteen inches across, and more +than a hundred yards long. I have already told you that the labourers +never come out into the light, when they can help it; and these +underground ways are the great roads to the city, to fetch in clay, or +wood, or water, or provisions: and now I will tell you another thing +which shows a great deal of sense. As some of their houses are very high +up, you know they would find it very hard to climb up through all the +streets with a heavy load in a straight line; so when these large ways +underground reach the outside wall, they just come through and keep on +winding around the inside of it like a corkscrew all the way to the top; +and there are other galleries opening from it at different places into +the city. One thing has been noticed about these ants; they can scarcely +climb at all up a perpendicular wall. Therefore on the upright side of +any part of the city you may see a road made, standing out from the wall +like a ledge; it is flat on the top, and half an inch wide, and goes +up gradually like a stair-case, or like a road cut out on the side of a +mountain. + +"Here is a picture of one of their cities cut straight down through the +middle. At the bottom, in the centre, is the queen's house; over it is a +floor, and the two crooked things you see rising up from the floor, are +bridges." + +[Illustration] + +"But, Uncle Philip, you said you would tell us about the soldiers and +labourers coming out when the city is attacked." + +"Yes, I did. As soon as a hole is made in the outside wall, you will +see a soldier run out, and walk about as if to look around; but as he +is blind, it cannot be to see what the danger is. He may have some way +though of finding out without seeing. Presently he will go in, as if +to tell the others, and then out pour the soldiers in great numbers, +as fast as the hole will let them; and just as long as you strike the +outside wall, they will continue to rush out. They seem to be in a +terrible passion. They are in such a hurry that sometimes they slip, and +roll down the outside of the hill; but they jump up again instantly, +and begin to bite every thing they run against, for they are blind and +cannot tell a friend from an enemy." + +"Do they bite hard, Uncle Philip?" + +"Very hard indeed. They make their hooked jaws, which are like awls, you +know, meet at every bite; and if it should happen to be a man's leg they +get hold of, you would see upon his stocking a spot of blood an inch +long. At every bite too you may hear their jaws snapping together and +making quite a noise. Some of them too (perhaps they are the officers) +are constantly beating with their awls upon the outside wall, and make a +sound something quicker and sharper than the ticking of a watch. You may +hear it at a distance of three or four feet. When these biters lay hold, +nothing will make them let go; you must tear them away by pieces. After +you stop striking the wall, in about half an hour they seem to get over +their rage and go back into the city, and then out come the labourers. +While the noise continues you will not see one of them; they all fled +at the first appearance of danger. But now they come, each one with a +bundle of mortar in his mouth, ready made; and they stick it on the hole +so fast, and with such order, that though thousands and thousands are at +work they never interrupt each other. And while the labourers are busy, +if you look you may commonly see a soldier or two walking about; but +they never touch the mortar, nor help in any way to mend the hole. One +of these soldiers always stands near the spot where the labourers are at +work, and every now and then turns slowly around, and frequently lifts +up his head, and with his awls beats upon the building, and makes a +sort of hissing noise. As soon as that is done you may hear a loud hiss +from all the labourers, both on the outside of the wall and from the +inside of the city, and then the labourers run faster, and work as quick +again. If you attack the nest again, away run all the labourers as fast +as their legs will carry them, and out pour the soldiers as before; and +the same thing is always seen upon every attack, of soldiers to fight +and labourers to work." + +"Well, Uncle Philip, this is a very strange story; much more interesting +than any we have yet heard." + +"I thought it would please you, boys; but there are still stranger +things among animals, and perhaps you will say so when you know more. + +"But it is now time to return home; so take in the kite and let us be +going." + + +FOOTNOTE: + +[10] Mr. Huber the younger. + + + + +CONVERSATION XI. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Children about some other Ants, that + are very good Masons, and build Walls and Ceilings; and a Story + about a very sensible Ant, which seemed to think a little._ + + +"Good morning, good morning, Uncle Philip; we have been so much +delighted with the stories about the white ants, that we hope you have +more of the same kind to tell us." + +"Why, as to that matter, boys, I can tell you much more about ants, for +there are many kinds of them; but I am not sure that I can show you any +of the _tools_ with which they work, though a large portion of their +work is like that of man; and they have, too, several customs which our +fellow-creatures have. I can tell you, however, of several other animals +which do use tools shaped like those used by men, if you would rather +hear of them." + +"If you please, Uncle Philip, we will hear of them at another time; but +now we would rather have you tell us of the other kinds of ants." + +"Oh, very well, boys; it shall be as you wish. All that I desire is to +instruct and amuse you, and I am sure that the ants can furnish a good +lesson to us. I shall begin with the mason ants. They always build their +nests either of clay which is damp, and dug from the inside of their +city under ground, or which has been made wet by the rain; and a part of +their building is always above the ground, so that you can easily see +it. There is no fixed rule for the ants to build by. Their cities are +not all alike in the inside. Sometimes the walls are larger and coarser, +and the ways and galleries are higher, than at other times. The rooms, +too, are different in shape and size, so that this industrious little +insect seems to have sense enough to work in the best way according to +circumstances. There is only one general rule which they seem to have, +and that is always to build in a number of different stories, one above +the other. If you examine one of these stories you may see a number +of large places or halls, some smaller rooms, and some long galleries +which serve as passage-ways. The tops of these large halls are covered +with an arched ceiling, and this ceiling is held up, sometimes by little +columns, sometimes by very thin walls, or by props built against the +side walls, just like buttresses. There are also chambers which have but +one door, which opens into the lower story, and large open places in the +centre of the nest something like a cross road, and all these little +galleries or streets come into that open place." + +"Any bridges, Uncle Philip?" + +"No, boys; no bridges among these ants, so far as I know. There will +sometimes be as many as twenty stories above ground in the ant-hill, and +as many below. The best time to see these little fellows at work is in a +gentle shower of rain, or directly after." + +"Why do they work in the rain, Uncle Philip?" + +"I suppose, boys, it is because the earth is then better for them; and +one thing that has been noticed about their work is, that the rain, when +it is not too violent, seems to make it solid, for these ants have no +gum or glue about them like some other insects, to make the earth stick +together. As soon as the rain begins, if you watch the brown ants, you +may see them come out of the ground in great numbers; and then running +in again, they will soon return, each one with a little piece of dirt +in his mouth, which he puts down upon the roof of the nest. A gentleman +who watched them very closely[10] says, that at first he could not think +what this was done for, but at last he saw little walls begin to rise up +with spaces left between them. In some places pillars were begun, placed +at regular distances, and he knew that these were to support ceilings; +so he found out that they were going to build another story to their +house, and they were laying the foundations." + +"How I should have liked to see them. Uncle Philip. I would not have +cared for the rain." + +"Ah, I see you are fit to be a naturalist. You know what that word +means, do you not?" + +"It means, Uncle Philip, a man who loves to study about the animals and +insects, does it not?" + +"It means a man or a woman either, boys, who loves to study the things +in nature no matter whether they are animals, or stones, or grass, or +flowers, or any of the things which God has made. Mark, boys, I said +to study the things, and you said to study _about_ the things. Now a +person may read a great deal that is interesting and true about all +these things in books; and it is very well to do so; but I think that +the real naturalist will never be satisfied with books only; he will +be looking to see things for himself. And I said a woman might be a +naturalist, because some ladies have been fond of natural history, and +have proved themselves to be very good naturalists. But let us go back +to the ants. Mr. Huber, in the account which he gives of his having +watched these little workmen, never thought of telling us whether he +got wet or not, because he was too busy to think or care much about it. +He had an opportunity of seeing what he might never see again, and a +little rain was not to spoil it. He says that each ant, as it brought +out its little lump of dirt, would place it on the spot where it wished +it to be, and press against it with its teeth, so as to make it fit +closely. It then rubbed its feelers all over it, and after that pressed +upon it lightly with its fore-feet. The walls went on very rapidly, and +it often happened that two little walls, which were to make a passage +or gallery, would be raised opposite and at a small distance from each +other. When they were about a quarter of an inch high, the ants would +set to work and cover them with an arched ceiling. After they had raised +all the walls as high as they wished, on the inside of each wall at the +top they began to put in pieces of wet dirt almost level, and in such a +way as to make a ledge; and by joining on more dirt to it, it would meet +the ledge made from the opposite wall so as to make a roof: these roofs +over the galleries were about a quarter of an inch across. The ceilings +over the large halls were sometimes as much as two inches in breadth, +and to support these they raised pillars; and beginning in the corner +where two walls joined, they would commence the ceiling with a ledge, +while from the top of each pillar they would also build out a layer of +earth a little rounded on the top; these they continued to add to until +all met and made a complete cover for the hall." + +"I wonder it did not fall, Uncle Philip, before they could join it +together." + +"Mr. Huber says that he thought several times it would fall, from the +rain which was dropping upon it all the time; but he found that the +pieces held together, and that the rain, instead of hurting it, only +made it more solid. All that it wants, when the ants have done, is a +little heat from the sun to bake it hard, and then it appears like a +piece of solid dirt. Sometimes, if the rain be violent, the apartments +will be destroyed, especially if the arches are not built strongly; and +when this happens, the little creatures go to work very patiently and +rebuild them." + +"And how long, Uncle Philip, did it take the ants to put another story +on their house?" + +"Between seven and eight hours; and they had hardly finished one before +they began another, but they had not time to finish it, for the rain +stopped before they had built much: however, they kept on, taking +advantage of the wet earth; but a cold drying wind soon sprang up, and +the earth would not stick; so they stopped: but what do you think they +did with the new story which they had not time to finish?" + +"What _did_ they do, Uncle Philip?" + +"Pulled every part of it to pieces, and scattered the dirt here and +there over the roof of the story which they had finished. + +"I will tell you another story about these ants, boys, which I think is +most wonderful, because it appears so much like reason. These insects +all seem to work separately,--I mean without attending to the work of +others: of course sometimes the work done by different ants on opposite +sides of the same gallery or hall will not suit: one wall will be higher +than the other, so that the ceilings will not meet. Mr. Huber saw just +such a case; the ceiling which was begun from one wall would just have +reached the other wall about half-way up; and while he was wondering +how the ants would cure the fault, one of them came, and looking at the +work, seemed to know that it was wrong, and immediately began by taking +down the ceiling from the lower wall; he then raised it to the same +height with the opposite wall, and made a new ceiling in Mr. Huber's +presence with the pieces of the old one." + +"Uncle Philip, if that ant did not know how to think, I am mistaken." + +"I must confess, boys, it does seem very much like thinking; and if it +was not thinking, we must at any rate own that it was something which, +_in this case_, did quite as well; for no thought of man could have hit +upon a better plan. But if the ant knew how to think as a man does, do +you suppose it would ever have made the mistake? Would not the workmen +have all agreed beforehand what they were to do, and how it should be +done, so that there might be no need of pulling down any of the work +because it would not suit? I think that this story, boys, while it shows +us something like reason in _one_ particular instance, shows us also +that _in general_ the ant has not reason like ours. But I am tired now, +and can tell you no more this morning. When you come again I shall be +ready to talk with you about some other kinds of ants. But before you +go, tell me--can any of you inform me what the Bible says about the ant?" + +"Oh yes, Uncle Philip: it says, 'Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider +her ways, and be wise.'" + +"Well, another question. Have you any lessons to say when you go into +school on Monday?" + +"Yes, Uncle Philip; we have." + +"Have you learned them, boys?" + +"No, sir." + +"Then remember what the Bible says to the sluggard, and go and learn +them at once. Good-by, children." + +"Good-by, Uncle Philip: we will learn our lessons." + + + + +CONVERSATION XII. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Boys about Ants that go to War and + fight Battles; and about some that are Thieves, and have Slaves._ + + +"Well, my lads, how do you do to-day?" + +"Very well, Uncle Philip, we thank you. And we wish to let you know that +we kept our promise to learn our lessons. Our teacher was very well +satisfied with every one of us." + +"That is well, boys. I am truly glad to hear this from you: and I make +no doubt that you also felt a great deal happier than you would have +done had you neglected to learn your lessons. Did you not?" + +"Oh yes, Uncle Philip, much happier; and far more cheerful and +good-natured." + +"Such are apt to be the feelings, boys, of those who have done their +_duty_. I am verily persuaded that there is no such thing as real, solid +happiness in this world, but in that man who acts from a sense of duty. +His is true peace, because it is 'the peace of God.' I do not say, boys, +that a man, even when he does his duty, _always_ feels comfortable or +happy _at once_; but he will be more apt to feel so than if he did not +do his duty: and I do say that no man who does not act from a sense of +duty, is likely to feel any thing like happiness very often or very +long." + +"Then, Uncle Philip, a man who wishes to be happy will try in the first +place to find out what his duty is." + +"To be sure, he will; and he need not try very long either, if he really +wishes to know it. The will of God, boys, is at the bottom of all our +duties; and an honest man, yes, or boy either, can commonly tell what +God will think to be right or wrong in his conduct. You know where a +great many of our duties are very plainly written down for us; do you +not?" + +"Oh yes, sir; in the New Testament, which tells us of what our Saviour +said and did." + +"True. And what our Saviour commanded, boys, God commanded; for He is +God. But besides this, when it is not exactly written down in the New +Testament what we should do, still if we will think, we shall very often +find out what to do, from what is written." + +"Uncle Philip, we almost always know what you mean; but now, we do not +quite understand you." + +"Thank you, boys, for telling me that you do not know what I mean: +always tell any person who is trying to teach you something, when you +do not understand what is said to you. Now I will try to make what I +said plainer to you. The New Testament does not say any thing about your +going to school; does it?" + +"No, sir." + +"Who sends you to school, boys, and pays your teachers for instructing +you?" + +"Our parents, Uncle Philip." + +"Very well. Now suppose that John Carter here, should wish, instead of +going to school, to do, what I am very sure he never did do: suppose he +should determine to play the truant. The Bible does not say a boy shall +not play the truant, does it?" + +"No, Uncle Philip." + +"But if John Carter should play the truant, he would, in doing so, +disobey what God has commanded in the Bible just as much as if the Bible +did say 'A boy shall not play the truant;' for the Bible does say, +'_Children obey your parents_,' and he could not be a truant without +disobeying his parents, who bade him go to school." + +"Uncle Philip, we understand you very well now." + +"There is another thing I wish you to understand, boys. John Carter, as +you see, would not only disobey his parents, which is wicked, but he +would also commit a _sin_ against God. That is always the thing to look +at first. When we are going to do something that we are not very sure +is right, we should always stop to ask ourselves whether God will be +pleased with it. But I have said enough to you about our duty for this +time. Now for the ants I promised to tell you of. And the first sort I +shall mention are great fighters." + +"Fighters, Uncle Philip! What do they fight about?" + +"About trifles, boys, just as men do. They have terrible wars, and +will dispute with and kill each other for a few inches of dirt, when +certainly this world is large enough for them all. But animals wiser +than ants, boys, act in the same foolish way. Men sometimes go to war +and kill each other to determine who shall have a river, or a small +town, or a fort, or some little spot of ground; while the poor creatures +who do the fighting, and get all the wounds, and lose their lives, had +they been let alone, would have lived on in peace, and never cared a +straw who had the miserable little spot they fight for. But let me go +on with the account of these ants. In the forests, where the fallow +ants live, you may see these wars. The battle will be between the ants +of different hills, but they are all ants of the same sort. Thousands +and thousands of them will meet on the ground between their hills, and +the battle begins by two ants, who seize each other by the claws (or +_mandibles_, as they are called), and rising up on their hind-legs, +they bring their bodies near together, and spirt a sort of venomous or +poisonous juice upon each other. These will be followed by thousands of +others on both sides, who seize each other in the same way, and fight +in pairs--ant to ant. Sometimes they will get so wedged together that +they fall down upon their sides, but they do not let go on that account; +they keep on fighting in the dust until they rise on their feet again. +Sometimes, too, a third ant will come in, and joining whichever of +them belongs to his nest, the two will begin to drag the third, until +some of his friends come to his help; and in this way, others joining +on both sides, they will form strings of six, or eight, or ten on a +side, pulling with all their strength. And while some are fighting, +you will see others leading off prisoners towards their hills, while +the prisoners are trying to escape. The field of battle is not more, +perhaps, than three feet square; multitudes of dead ants covered with +venom may be seen upon it, and there is a very strong scent which comes +from it. When night comes they go off to their hills. Before dawn the +next day they are at it again in still larger numbers, and they fight +with greater fury than before, until at last one side or the other +gives way. They are so busy that even if you stand near them they take +no notice of you, and not one stops fighting, or crawls up your legs." + +"Do all of them that belong to the hill go out to fight, Uncle Philip?" + +"No; near the hills all is peace and order, and work seems to be going +on as usual. Only on the side next to the battle, crowds may be seen +running backwards and forwards from both hills; some as messengers, I +suppose, and some to fight, or carry back prisoners." + +"But, Uncle Philip, you said that these ants were all of one sort; how +then do they know one another so as to tell which party each one belongs +to? I should think that sometimes they would make a mistake, and fight a +friend instead of an enemy." + +"This, boys, is one of the most wonderful things concerning them. They +are alike in form, and size, and weapons, and strength; and sometimes +it happens that they do make a mistake, but it is very seldom; and when +they do, Mr. Huber, who watched one of their battles, says that they +find it out directly, and caress each other with their feelers, and +make up the difficulty at once. + +"Are you tired, boys, or do you wish to hear more?" + +"Oh, let us hear more, by all means: we are not at all tired." + +"I will then tell you of another kind of ants called legionary ants, +and sometimes amazons; but I am sorry to say that they are unlike other +ants, for they are lazy; and yet they live very comfortably." + +"How is that, Uncle Philip? Can they be comfortable without working?" + +"Yes, boys, if they can get others to work for them; and these have +their work mostly done by their slaves." + +"By their slaves! what are their slaves, and where did they get them?" + +"As to your first question, boys, their slaves are ants of another kind; +as to the second question--where they get them--they _stole_ them when +they were young." + +"Why you surprise us, Uncle Philip." + +"I dare say I do. There are persons much older than you are who have +never attended at all to the doings of insects, who would be very much +astonished by the history of the legionary ants; and probably would +laugh at the whole account as an idle story; and yet it is all true, +and those who have read and seen, know it to be true; and they know, +too, that to deny it shows nothing but ignorance. However, I always let +such persons alone. I can do them no good; for they are apt to be very +conceited, and will not be convinced. And now for the legionary ant. +This is a fighting ant, as well as the last I mentioned; and it actually +steals the young of another kind, rears them, and puts all the work on +them, so as to be idle itself. This curious fact was first found out +by Mr. Huber; another gentleman, named Latreille, afterward saw the +same thing; and now a great many naturalists know it, because they have +sought for and seen it. The ant which it steals is of a dark ash colour; +the legionary is of light colour. The dark-coloured ant is now called +the negro ant, and is a very industrious, peaceable insect, without any +sting. The legionary is a strong, brave ant, with a sting, but very +lazy. I shall relate to you the account which Mr. Huber gives of the +legionary. He was walking near the city of Geneva during an afternoon +in the summer of 1804, when he saw quite an army of these legionary +ants crossing the road; they passed through a thick hedge, entered a +pasture, and kept on through the grass without separating; and Mr. Huber +followed them until he saw them come near a nest of negro ants. Some of +these negro ants seemed to be guarding the holes into their nest; but as +soon as they saw the legionaries, they, with a great many more from the +inside of the nest, attacked the thieves. The legionary ants, however, +were too powerful for them, and after a short but severe fight they +conquered the negroes, who ran into the lower part of their nests. The +legionaries then mounted their ant-hill, some entered it by the holes +already made, and others began with their teeth to break other holes, +so that all the army might get into the hill. They went in and remained +but a few minutes, when they came out, each one having in his mouth a +young negro ant, and off they scampered, without any order among them, +every one going his own way, until Mr. Huber lost sight of them. The +next day he set out to go back and examine further, and on his way he +found a large ant-hill full of legionaries, and saw an army start from +it, which he followed. They made the attack as before, and each one +came off with a young negro ant in his mouth, and on going back to their +hill, from which Mr. Huber saw them start, he had an opportunity of +seeing them return, and was very much surprised to find all around the +nest of the legionaries a great many full-grown negro ants. At first he +thought that perhaps they had gone there to fight the legionaries, but +he soon saw that instead of fighting, the negro ants went out to meet +the legionaries returning, and would caress them, and give them food, +and finally take the young negro ants and carry them within the nest." + +"But, Uncle Philip, why do the legionaries always take the young ones?" + +"Because, boys, they know, I suppose, that the old ants would never be +satisfied to remove from their homes; and therefore they take the young. +These legionaries could work if they would, I think, but they depend +upon the negro ants for house and home, and food too; and nothing can be +more faithful and affectionate than these poor slaves are. To try them, +Mr. Huber took thirty of the legionaries, and put them with some of +the larvæ, or grubs of their own young, into a glass box with a thick +coat of earth at the bottom of it, and he put honey also in the box, +that they might not want food. At first the legionaries paid a little +attention to their young; but they soon stopped; and they neither tried +to make a house, nor took any food, so that in two days half of them +died. Mr. Huber then put in _one_ negro ant, and this little creature +set to work alone, made a chamber of the earth in the box, gathered the +young together, fed the old, and put every thing into complete order. + +"At another time Mr. Huber broke one of the ant-hills of these +legionaries, to see how they would act, and in doing it, he, of course, +altered their galleries and chambers. The legionaries seemed to be +lost, and went wandering about, without knowing where to go; but the +negro ants appeared to understand very well where they were: they could +find such of the galleries as were not broken, and would take up the +legionaries in their mouths and carry them into them. If the negro +sometimes seemed for a short time to be lost, and not to know where it +was, it laid down its master, ran round and examined until it knew, and +then would come back, and pick up the legionary ant, and carry it off. +In one case Mr. Huber saw that the entrance to a gallery was stopped up +by a small lump of earth; the negro ant laid his master down, took away +the piece of earth, and then carried him in." + +"Why, these poor negro ants are sensible as well as faithful, Uncle +Philip." + +"Yes, boys, they are so; and I think it is likely that both kinds depend +in some way upon each other, but we have not yet found all about it. I +expect that in some things the legionary does for the negro ant what it +could not do for itself. God has made them necessary to each other, and +this is the reason they live together so kindly. + +"But I think it is time now to leave the ants, and go back to our +business of seeking for something like man's inventions and tools among +the lower animals. Perhaps hereafter I may tell you more about ants; but +at present I must bid you good morning." + +"Good morning, Uncle Philip." + + + + +CONVERSATION XIII. + + _Uncle Philip and the Boys make a Voyage, and he tells them + of an Animal that makes itself into a Ship; and of an Insect that + builds a Boat, and floats about in a Canoe; and of another that + pumps Water, and wears a Mask; and of a Spider that builds a Raft, + and floats upon it._ + + +"Well, boys, I have a most delightful plan for us to-day." + +"What is it, what is it, Uncle Philip?" + +"Why, I have a little voyage to make, and my boat is on the river just +above the mill. I have the men there to row it, and every thing is +ready." + +"Oh! dear Uncle Philip, this is charming! we shall be so happy! +But--but--" + +"But what, boys?" + +"Why, Uncle Philip, we have not asked leave at home. Now our parents are +very happy to have us visit you, and say that they are very much obliged +to you for telling us so many things; but they have told us, too, never +to get into a boat without asking their permission first. Uncle Philip, +we are sure they will let us go, if they know that you are going; only +let us run home and ask them." + +"My dear boys, I am very much pleased with your conduct; and, what +is far better, my children, God is pleased; for he has commanded you +to honour your father and mother: but you need not go home to ask +permission, for you may depend upon it I would not take one of you upon +the water without the consent of your parents: so I went yesterday, +while you were all at school, and have got permission from your friends +for every one of you to go--only I asked them to tell you nothing about +it." + +"Oh dear, Uncle Philip, you are so very, very good: thank you, thank +you, a thousand times over." + +"Once is enough, boys. There is but one Being who deserves a thousand +thanks, and he, in truth, deserves a great many more than a thousand; +but I fear that from a great many he is just the Being who gets the +fewest,--it is our Heavenly Father: but come on, boys, let us be going +to the boat. We shall soon reach her. Ah, yonder she is; I see her +through the trees." + +"Oh, what a beauty she is, Uncle Philip, with her green sides and white +belt near the top. We shall have a charming voyage." + +"Come, then; get in, my little sailors, and seat yourselves yonder in +the stern. Now we are all ready; shove off, men, and use your oars. I +will take care of the helm." + +"Oh, Uncle Philip, how smoothly we go along! this is charming. Is this +the way a ship goes, Uncle Philip?" + +"A ship floats, boys, just as the boat does; but she is not rowed with +oars; she has sails, and the wind blowing upon them sends her along." + +"Uncle Philip, there are no ships among animals, are there?" + +"Oh no; but there is a very curious little animal which lives in the +water, and manages to rig out something like a ship, and to sail." + +"What is it, Uncle Philip? pray let us hear of it." + +"It is called the nautilus, and I saw a great many of them in the +Mediterranean sea. The shell is nearly round, and six or eight inches +across, not much thicker than paper, and of a whitish colour: it +has, too, a keel or ridge upon each side. When it wishes to sail, it +stretches upwards two of its legs: these have a very thin skin at the +end, which the nautilus spreads out for sails, and the other legs hang +over on each side of the shell for oars or rudders. When the sea is +calm, a great many of them may be seen playing about; but as soon as a +storm arises, or they are disturbed, they take in their sails and sink +to the bottom. But, boys, the most curious boat that I know, made by one +of the dumb creatures, is the work of the little insect that played the +doctor the other day, and stuck his lancet into us. Do you remember what +insect that was?" + +"Oh yes, very well, Uncle Philip, it was the gnat." + +"True, boys, it was the gnat, which is an insect that spends the first +part of its life in the water, and the latter part in the air. The grub +of the gnat lives in water, and I will give you the whole history of +this curious insect. We will first speak of the eggs, for out of these +it is that the boat is made. In order to see this boat made, you must +go early in the morning, between five and six o'clock, to a bucket, or +pond of stagnant water, where gnats are to be found: if you go later +you will not see it. The gnat's eggs are shaped something like a pocket +powder-flask, and it is by putting a great many of these together that +she makes the boat. To do this, the mother gnat stands by her fore-legs +upon the side of the bucket, or on a leaf or stick in the pond, and her +body is on a level with the water, and rests upon it, except the last +ring of her tail, which she raises a little. She then crosses her two +hind-legs in the shape of the letter X, and begins to put her eggs in +that part of the X nearest to her body. So she brings her legs, crossed +in this way, near to her body, and puts an egg in the angle, covered +with a kind of glue, which will make the eggs stick together. On each +side of the first egg she puts another in this shape .*., and here is a +drawing of the insect at this part of her work. + +[Illustration: A Gnat making her Boat of Eggs.] + +"She then goes on adding eggs, which are all put in the water with their +ends downwards, until she has got her boat half-finished; she then +uncrosses her legs, and just keeps one on each side of the boat as she +goes on, until she has completed it." + +"And how many eggs, Uncle Philip, will she put together in this way?" + +"From two hundred and fifty to three hundred and fifty, and when all are +laid they make quite a good boat, sharp, and raised at both ends, and +floating on the water. Then the mother gnat leaves it. Here is a picture +of one of these boats. + +[Illustration] + +"Now I will tell you of what becomes of the young ones in these eggs. +They come out of the lower part of the egg, and commonly swim, with +their heads downward, near to the top of the water." + +"With their heads downward, Uncle Philip! what is that for?" + +"Why, they have a tube at the end of their bodies, near the tail, +through which they breathe; and that part must, you know, be at the top +to get air. Besides this, its tail and its breathing tube both end in a +sort of funnel, made up of hairs placed somewhat in the form of a star, +and covered with oil, so as to keep off water, and these buoy or float +it up. When it wishes to sink, it just folds up its funnels, and shuts +up in them a little bubble of air, which it breathes under the water; +and when it wishes to rise, it opens its funnels, and they float it to +the top again. Here is a drawing which will show it to you. + +[Illustration: Larva of the common Gnat floating in water, greatly +magnified. _aa_, the body and head of the larva; _b_, the respiratory +apparatus, situated in the tail; _c_, the larva, not magnified.] + +"They are hatched in a few days, and then the boat of empty eggs floats +about until it is destroyed by the weather. And to show you how good a +boat it is, I will tell you what a gentleman did to prove it. Mr. Kirby, +who is very fond of natural history, and has written a great deal about +insects, says that he put half a dozen of these gnat-boats in a tumbler +half full of water, and then poured upon them a stream from the mouth of +a quart bottle, held up a foot above them, and he could not sink them. +More than that, the water would not stay in them. If you push one to the +bottom with your finger, it will come up to the top directly, and you +cannot see any water in it." + +"Why, this is a noble boat, Uncle Philip, that will never sink." + +"True, boys; but listen, and you will find that before it can use its +wings the gnat has to sail in another boat still, much more dangerous +than this is. After it is hatched, it has to pass through several shapes +before it gets to be such an insect as you see. Here is a picture which +will show you its different shapes. + +[Illustration] + +"The first is the same which you saw in the last picture, only in this +drawing the head is uppermost. But its last change, when it becomes +an insect with wings, is the most curious part of the whole. When it +is about to get its wings, and become a perfect gnat, it raises its +shoulders just above the top of the water, and its skin cracks, so that +the head of the gnat immediately comes through. The shoulders come next, +and make the crack larger; but it has yet all its body to get out, and +its legs and wings are as yet all shut up in its case. Now is the time +of danger for the gnat. It raises itself nearly straight out of the +crack, and by wriggling works its body along: and if a particle of water +should get upon the case, or touch its wings, it would be overset, and +must perish. Thousands and thousands die in this way. It is so very +light, too, that the wind will drive it about, and whirl it round and +round upon the top of the water; and when it is almost out, the insect +is tossed about in a canoe or boat of the very weakest sort, while its +body is a mast, which appears much too large for so small a boat. At +last it gets far enough out of the case to stretch its fore-legs, and +put them down upon the water (which will bear a gnat's weight), and then +it is safe; it spreads its wings, and soon leaves the little boat which +was so dangerous. Here is a picture of the gnat getting out of its case." + +[Illustration] + +"Well, Uncle Philip, all this is very strange; we never knew before that +the gnat was a sailor." + +"I suppose that you did not, boys. But as we are talking of boats, pray +can you think of any way of making a boat move through water without +oars, or paddles, or sails, or something to pull it along?" + +"No indeed.--Oh yes, Uncle Philip, by steam." + +"Ah, I mentioned paddles, boys, and a steamboat is forced along by them." + +"No; Uncle Philip, we do not know." + +"Well, I will tell you then of another way in which I have no doubt a +boat might be made to move. If there were any contrivance by which a +large quantity of water could be kept in the boat, and if this water +were forced out of tubes or holes at one end very violently, it would +push against the water in which the boat was floating, and force her +along. Some years ago a plan was thought of to make a steam engine throw +the water out of the stern of the boat, and thus to force her along; and +before that, Dr. Franklin tried some schemes for the same purpose, but +they never succeeded. Now there is an insect which adopts precisely this +plan, and perhaps some of those who thought of it got the notion from +the insect." + +"What insect is it, Uncle Philip?" + +"It is the grub of the dragon-fly. If you catch one of these grubs and +put it into a saucer of water with some of the dead leaves or sticks +it had for a covering, you will see these leaves or sticks floating +towards the tail of the grub, and afterward driven off again. This is +because the insect is pumping in water, and then throwing it out. If you +take one of them out of the water, and hold it with its head down, and +let a drop of water fall upon its tail, it instantly sucks it in, and +you can see it grow larger; and when it throws it out again it becomes +smaller." + +"But, Uncle Philip, how can you see it suck the water in?" + +"Very easily, boys. When it is in the water, if you will colour some +other water with indigo, or ink, or any thing else, and then hold a +glass tube just over the tail of the insect, and very carefully put some +of the coloured water into the tube, you will soon see the grub spirt +out a stream of it to the distance of several inches: or if you will put +the insect in a saucer of coloured water, and then suddenly move it, and +put it into one of clean water, you will see it spirt out the coloured +stream plainer still." + +"Why, Uncle Philip, it must have a pump inside of it." + +"It has, boys, something very like one. This stream of water is forced +out to help the insect along; for though it has six feet, it uses +them very little except for catching food. It drives the water out so +strongly against the still water behind it, that it sends it forward, +with a dart, very rapidly. Here are two pictures; one shows the pump +open, and the other shows it shut." + +[Illustration] + +"Uncle Philip, is there any thing else curious about this insect?" + +"There is, boys, something well worth attention; did you ever see a +mask?" + +"Do you mean, Uncle Philip, a face made of pasteboard, very frightful +commonly, which you can wear over your own face?" + +"That is a mask, boys; but so is any thing which is made to wear over +the face, and hide it. Now this little insect has a mask, not made +like a man's face, but which completely hides its mouth, and it is +exceedingly curious." + +"How is it made, Uncle Philip?" + +"Why, boys, I am not sure that I can tell you, so that you will +understand me; but I will try. Suppose your under-lip was horn, instead +of being flesh; and suppose it hung straight down until it reached the +bottom of your chin, so as to cover the whole of it, and that at the +bottom there was a large three-sided plate which was hollowed out, and +fastened by a joint or hinge to the bottom of your long lip, so that it +could turn up on the hinge and cover your face as high up as your nose, +and hide your long lip and your mouth and part of your cheeks: suppose, +too, that at the upper end of this long face-cover there were two other +pieces, so broad that they would cover all your nose and your temples, +and could open sidewise like jaws, and show your nose and mouth, so that +when they were opened they would appear like the blinders to a horse's +bridle; and then suppose that these jaws, upon their inner edges, were +cut into a great many sharp teeth, which fitted into each other, and you +will have some notion of this curious mask. Do you think you understand +me?" + +"Why, pretty well, Uncle Philip, we think." + +"Well, boys, here are some pictures, and with their help I hope what I +have been saying will be plain enough. In one picture the mask is shut; +and in the other, one of the jaws, like a blinder to a bridle, is open. +While the insect is at rest, it keeps the mask over its face; when it +wishes to use it, it unfolds it, and catches its food, and holds it to +its mouth. A gentleman once saw one of them holding and eating a large +tadpole." + +[Illustration: Mask of the Dragon-fly, shut and open.] + +"Uncle Philip, this mask is any thing but handsome." + +"Very true; but you know we agreed when we were talking about the bats +to look at animals even if they were not handsome. And there is your +poor little ugly insect that you thought it right to kill, the spider; +did you know that the spider was a sailor, too?" + +"No, indeed, Uncle Philip! Pray tell us of it, will you?" + +"Yes; but wait a little, until we bring the boat's head right, for we +are near the landing-place. So--now, boys, I am ready. There is a very +large spider, about which not much is yet known, which actually builds +a _raft_, for the purpose of getting its food more easily. You may see +it sailing about upon the water, on a ball of weeds about three inches +across, which is held together probably by small silk cords spun from +itself; and the moment it sees an insect drowning, it leaves the raft, +gets the insect, and then returns to eat it at leisure. If you frighten +it, or it thinks danger is near, in an instant it is under the raft out +of sight." + +"Ah, this is a cunning spider, Uncle Philip." + +"Not half so cunning, boys, as the one we talked of which built a door +to its house. But here we are at land. Jump ashore, my lads, and give my +respects to your fathers and mothers, when you get home." + +"We will. Good day, Uncle Philip." + +"Good day, boys. I shall be glad to see you next Saturday." + + + + +CONVERSATION XIV. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Boys about an Insect with Tweezers, + and another with Pincers; and shows them how a Fly's Foot is made, + so as to stick to the Wall._ + + +"How do you do, Uncle Philip, this morning?" + +"Very well, boys, I thank you. You are all well, I suppose, or I should +not see you here." + +"Yes, we are all well, thank you, Uncle Philip. But one of us would be +very glad to have your help." + +"Why, what is the matter?" + +"Charles Walker has run a splinter into his hand, and he wishes you to +get it out for him." + +"Oh, certainly, I will do that, if I can. Let me see: but stay--I must +first put on my spectacles. Ah, now I see it; I can get it out, but I +must take my tweezers to it. There, it is out." + +"Uncle Philip, those tweezers are very useful. If you had not had them, +you could not have taken hold of the splinter with your fingers; and +what would you have done then?" + +"Tried to cut it out with the point of my penknife; but the tweezers are +better for such work; and that reminds me, boys, to tell you that there +are insects with tweezers." + +"Why, what tool is it that you cannot find among them, Uncle Philip? It +really seems as if you found almost every kind among the lower animals." + +"Oh, no--no, boys. There are a great many which I cannot find; but there +are several, too, which, as you know, we have discovered." + +"And, Uncle Philip, we suppose that men learned to make their tools and +work at many of their trades from these dumb creatures." + +"Stay, boys--I never said that, because I think that it is not true. We +know that in some things men did not learn from the insects, though they +might have done so. There is paper, for instance. How could men learn +to make it from the wasps, when it was a thins: in common use a long +time before Mr. Reaumur, of whom I told you, found out how the wasp made +it? So, too, with a great many tools; men invented them, and afterward, +perhaps, it was found out that insects had instruments like them: +and at other times the insects did show men how to make some things. +I will tell you of one which I think of just now. The city of London, +in England, is on the river Thames. Some time since a plan was adopted +to make what is called a tunnel under the river. This tunnel is a road +dug out of the earth, under the bottom of the river, across it; and of +course to keep the water from pressing in the earth as fast as it was +hollowed out, it was propped up by walls built on each side, with a very +strong arch at the top. The work has now stopped; but about half of it +was made. In building this arched road under the water, the workmen used +what they called a shield, to keep the water from coming through upon +them: and the gentleman who invented it, says that he first thought of +it, from examining a little animal named Taret, which will bore holes in +large pieces of timber under the water. This little animal has upon its +head a kind of shield, by which it keeps off the force of the water, and +works without being disturbed. So here was a case in which the insect +taught the man." + +"Uncle Philip, that gentleman was a sensible man, in the first place to +watch the Taret and examine its head, and in the next place not to be +too proud to learn from it. I expect he was a naturalist; was he, Uncle +Philip?" + +"I do not know, boys; but I should think his discovery of the shield +would make him an attentive observer, if he was not so before." + +"Now, Uncle Philip, will you tell us of the tweezers?" + +"Very willingly, boys. This instrument or tool belongs to the moths +which you see flying about at times. The tails are covered with a down, +which grows in the form of a thick brush or tuft, and has a shining +silky gloss, different in colour from the short hair upon the rest +of the body. The moth pulls off this hair to cover its eggs, and the +tweezers are used for that purpose. Here is a picture of the moths." + +[Illustration: Females of the brown and gold-tailed Moths, showing the +bunch of down on the tails.] + +"Uncle Philip, you said that the moth pulled this hair off to cover its +eggs; are they easily frozen?" + +"Not very easily, boys; but you are mistaken in thinking that the moth +covers these eggs to keep off the cold; for as she lays them in July and +August, and covers them at that time, it cannot be to keep off the cold." + +"What is it for, then, Uncle Philip?" + +"To keep off the summer heat, boys." + +"Why, Uncle Philip! who ever heard of covering a thing up in hair or +wool to keep off heat?" + +"I have heard of it, and seen it too, boys. It may seem strange, but +it is true, that down and wool, and such things, are nearly as good to +protect an animal from very great outward heat as they are to keep off +very severe cold. When I was at Naples, in Italy, it was summer;--the +climate is a very warm one.--The country people were in the habit of +bringing snow into the city from Mount Vesuvius, and every morning I +could see them coming in with their snow, which they sell to the rich +to use for cooling things: and they kept it from melting with straw +and wool. And in our own country, especially at the south, it is very +common when a large lump of ice is brought to the house to be used +through the day in midsummer, to wrap it up in a thick blanket until it +is wanted. + +"But I have not yet told you of the tweezers. The moth has no jaws, like +bees and wasps, so that it cannot pull off these hairs as the bee would; +but, as I told you, it performs the work with its tweezers, which are +placed in its tail, and are like the points of a pair of sugar-tongs. +The insects, too, will use them very rapidly, and pull off a little of +the down, spread the egg upon it, and then cover it with more down, and +smooth it very neatly. Here are pictures of these tweezers." + +[Illustration: Tweezers of the brown and gold-tailed Moths, magnified.] + +"This is a curious instrument for the insect to have, Uncle Philip." + +"True, boys, but a very useful one. I will tell you, however, of another +strange thing concerning moths with their tweezers; I mean the way +in which they will sometimes place their eggs. The kind of moth that +does this work is not exactly known, but naturalists think that the +eggs are moth's eggs, because they are covered with the down, exactly +like those which are known to be moth's eggs. These eggs are twisted +round a branch, like the thread of a screw, or like the curled end of +a corkscrew put over a small stick. Here is a picture of some of these +eggs." + +[Illustration: Spiral group of Eggs of an unknown Moth.] + +"Ah, this is wonderful work indeed for a moth, Uncle Philip." + +"As you seem to like this, boys, I will just mention to you that there +is another moth, called the lackey-moth, which winds its eggs also +around a branch. They are hard, however, and not covered with any down, +and are put on in the strongest possible way. If men wish to make an +arch of stone, you know that the stones will be more narrow at the +bottom than at the top, so that the bottom of the arch may make a small +circle, and the top a larger one: thus-- + +[Illustration: A, Key-stone of an arch; B, Arch completed.] + +Now the moth goes on this principle. Its eggs are shaped like the bowl +of a wine-glass, and the smaller end is put next to the branch. They are +all glued together, too, with a kind of gum, which will not dissolve or +melt in water; so that the rain cannot injure them. Here is a picture of +these eggs. + +[Illustration: Eggs of the Lackey-moth, wound spirally round a twig of +hawthorn; natural size, and magnified.] + +"There is another insect, boys, which has something like tweezers; +though I think they resemble pincers most." + +"What is it, Uncle Philip?" + +"The boys call it father long-legs, and I dare say you have often seen +it. It is the crane-fly, and its pincers are used for putting its egg in +the hole it has made for it." + +"Where does it put its eggs, Uncle Philip?" + +[Illustration: Ovipositor and Eggs of the Crane-fly.] + +"In the earth, boys; and to enable the insect to do this, the female has +the pincers I spoke of: they are made of something like horn, and are +sharp at the point. With these she first bores a hole in the ground, and +then puts the egg in. The egg is like a grain of gunpowder, and she puts +herself in a very curious posture to bore the hole. Here, boys, you may +see a picture of the pincers as they appear through a microscope, for +they are not near as large as the picture. And here is a drawing of one +boring." + +[Illustration: Crane-fly ovipositing, and the larva beneath, in the +earth, feeding upon grass roots.] + +"What good pincers those are, Uncle Philip: but will you tell us one +thing which we wish to know? Talking about the crane-fly has put me in +mind of it: the other day we were sitting together in school, and the +wall over our heads was covered with common flies; and when we came out, +we were talking about the way in which the fly stuck to the wall without +falling down; and as we could not tell what kept him up, we agreed to +ask you about it." + +"I will tell you, boys, very willingly. I do not wonder that you were +unable to tell how the fly stuck to the wall; for you never tried to +find out, and therefore could only guess at it." + +"And that is not a good way to find out any thing, Uncle Philip?" + +"No, boys; though some persons much older than you are, did nothing but +guess about this very thing, and guessed very far from the truth too. +Some thought that the fly had a sponge in its foot, and squeezed a sort +of glue out of it which made it stick fast; others said that the glass +or wall was so rough that the fly's feet would catch hold of the little +points upon it; but both were wrong." + +"How does it hold on, Uncle Philip?" + +"Did you ever see what the boys call a sucker, made of a piece of soft +sole leather? That will show you how the fly's foot sticks fast. This +leather is cut round, and has a string through the centre; the boys wet +it, and then put it upon a board or something smooth, and stamp on it, +and try to raise it up from the board by the string; and it requires +some strength to pull it up: sometimes they put it on a small smooth +stone, and then lift up the stone by it. The reason why the leather +sticks so fast is because the air is pressing on it upon the outside, +and there is very little or no air between it and the board, to press +the other way." + +"Why, Uncle Philip, is the air heavy?" + +"Oh yes, boys, when there is so much of it as there is above the earth, +it presses down very heavily. Now the fly's foot is like the sucker; +when he puts it down he has a contrivance to drive out the air from +under it, so that there will be little or none between it and the wall; +and then the outer air presses upon it, and holds it fast." + +"But, Uncle Philip, how does he get it up again?" + +"Why, boys, by another contrivance, he can let air in under his foot +again, and then he can easily move it; for we do not feel the weight of +air when it presses upon both sides of us. The reason why you stand up +straight is because the air is pressing all around you; if it were on +one side of you only, it would press you down on the other side. Here is +a picture of the fly's foot, as it appears through the microscope. You +will see it has three suckers with the edges all like saws; these are +to make it stick the closer. This picture, boys, is sixty-four hundred +times as large as the fly's foot is." + +[Illustration: Fly's foot magnified.] + +"But, Uncle Philip, there is one thing yet hard to understand." + +"What is it?" + +"Why, the fly walks on the wall over our heads; now the air cannot press +down upon his feet there." + +"Very true, boys: it cannot press _down_, but it can and does press +_up_ against his feet; for the air presses up and down and sidewise all +alike." + +"Ah, now it is plain enough, and we are much obliged to you, Uncle +Philip, for telling us what we wished to know." + +"You are quite welcome, my dear boys, to all that I can teach you: if it +makes you to be wiser and better men when you grow up, I shall be very +thankful to God that I have been able to do you any good." + +"Good morning, Uncle Philip." + +"Good day, boys; I shall expect to see you all in church to-morrow." + +"We shall be there, Uncle Philip." + + + + +CONVERSATION XV. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Boys how Hats are made; and then talks + to them about Animals that can make Felt like the Hatter._ + + +"Boys, do you remember my telling you of a remarkable bird, called the +tailor-bird, which sews very neatly?" + +"Oh yes, Uncle Philip; it is not easy to forget such an excellent little +workman; but why do you ask--have you any thing more to tell us about +that bird?" + +"No, boys, not any thing of that bird; but I was thinking last night +of the work done by several other kinds of birds, some of them quite +as good workmen as our little tailor; and I thought that, perhaps, you +might like to hear of them." + +"We would, Uncle Philip, be very happy to hear of them, if you will have +the kindness to tell us about them. But what kind of work is it they do?" + +"Various kinds, boys. There are some which make what is called _felt_, +just as the hat-maker does; and some are weavers, others basket-makers; +some build platforms to live on; and I assure you some birds' nests are +as curious as any of the things of which I have yet told you." + +"Pray let us hear of them, Uncle Philip." + +"Very well, you shall. I will begin with birds that make felt like the +hatter. Do you know how a hat is made?" + +"Not exactly, Uncle Philip; but we know what it is made of." + +"What is it, boys?" + +"Of sheep's wool, and the hair of other animals: is it not?" + +"Yes, commonly of these things; and to understand what I am going to +tell you, I think it will be necessary first to say something about the +hatter's trade. The business of the man who makes a hat is to mix up +wool or hair in such a way that it will stick together and make felt; +or something like a piece of thick, strong cloth. To do this, he does +not weave the hairs together, for they are of different kinds, and of +different lengths, and it would be endless work to weave every one in; +besides the cloth or felt would not be thick enough when it was done." + +"How do they stick together then, Uncle Philip?" + +"Why, boys, their sticking together is owing to something in the hairs +themselves. I will show you. Pull a hair out of your head; now hold it +just between the ends of your two fore-fingers, and rub the fingers +gently against each other." + +"Why, Uncle Philip! see, the hair is moving towards my body." + +"Very true; and if you will turn it with the other end towards you, and +rub your fingers as before, you will see it move from your body." + +"This is very strange, Uncle Philip: the hair is smooth; how can my +fingers make it move so?" + +"No, that is a mistake, boys, the hair is not smooth. If some kinds of +coarse hair are seen through the microscope, each one will seem to be, +not one hair, but ten or twelve smaller ones, which are joined at the +root, and form a hollow tube, like a straw; and sometimes it will have +joints just like some kinds of grass or straw. In some sorts of finer +hair you cannot see this even with the microscope; but you can feel it, +as you did just now when you moved your fingers. These joints overlap +one another, just as if you should take several pieces of straw and +stick them into each other. I will show you some pictures of hairs as +seen through the microscope, and then these joints will be plain enough." + +[Illustration: Hairs of (_a_) the Bat, (_b_) the Mole, and (_c_) the +Mouse.] + +"These are strange-looking hairs, Uncle Philip." + +"Yes, they are curious; but now you may see why, when hairs are worked +together, they may be made to stick to each other. These rough parts +catch into each other, and hook themselves; and the more you press them +or move them, the more closely you work them into one solid mass, which +you cannot easily pull to pieces. Besides, you must remember that the +hairs will work only one way, as you found out just now when your finger +ends caught upon the little joints and moved them along. Now, suppose +that a very large heap of hairs, or wool, or fur, after it is made +ready, should be put upon a table, and covered with a linen cloth, and +pressed down in different directions. Each hair would begin to move in +the direction of its root, just as it did between your fingers, and so +all would be joined together at last into one solid piece." + +"We understand you, Uncle Philip." + +"Then you understand, boys, the way in which a hat is made. These hairs +are all worked together by the hands of the hat-maker, and to make them +work more easily (for curled hair, such as wool, does not move easily) +the hatter uses hot water, and dips his hat in it while he is working +it. After it is done, it is died, and then put upon a wooden block to +give it shape, and is ironed smooth." + +"And this is the way, then, Uncle Philip, to make hats: it is curious, +is it not?" + +"Yes, boys; but plain enough when you come to examine into it. And the +best stuff for the hatters is such hair as has most joints ready to +catch into each other: the rabbit's hair is very good, and for that +reason." + +"And is it possible, Uncle Philip, that any bird can do such work as +this?" + +"Not only possible, boys, but true. There are several birds very expert +at making felt, and their nest appears like a piece of hatter's felt, or +double-milled woollen cloth. I do not mean to say that it is as close +and solid as the hat or cloth; it would feel in your fingers looser than +either, still it is quite close; and when you examine it, you will find +it put together in the same way; it is all carded into one mass, and not +woven together thread by thread, or hair by hair." + +"And are there many birds able to do such work, Uncle Philip?" + +"I told you, boys, that there were several. The chief article which +they use is wool, but with this many other things will be found +mixed--sometimes, upon the outside, fine moss--sometimes pieces of a +spider's web rolled up into a little bundle--sometimes, when cotton can +be had, they will use small bunches of cotton-wool; but sheep's wool +they must have, and by means of that, they contrive to make, with the +other things I have mentioned, a felt wonderfully smooth." + +"Is it smooth on the outside, Uncle Philip?" + +"Sometimes quite so; but always as smooth on the inside, when it is +first made, as if it had been felted together by the hat-maker. There +is another thing curious enough in some of these nests. The hatter, you +know, binds the rim of his hat to make it stronger; and some of these +felt-making birds will make their nests stronger by a binding all around +them of dry grass stems, and sometimes of slender roots, and they take +care to cover these grass stems, or roots, with their felt-work of moss +and wool. But there is something else not less strange, I think, than +the binding. It is this: they will build their nests in the fork of a +shrub or tree; and to keep them from falling, they will work bands of +this felt round all the branches which touch the nest, both below and at +the sides. And those parts of the nest which touch the large branches +are always thinner than the other parts, which have no support; in those +parts the nest is nothing but a thin wall of felt, fixed around to +fit the shape of the branch, and that is enough to make that part of +the nest warm and soft. Here is a picture of one of these felt-nests, +fastened in the way of which I have been telling you." + +[Illustration: Chaffinch's Nest on an Elder-tree.] + +"This, boys, is the nest of the chaffinch. The goldfinch makes a nest +of the same kind, only rather neater and smoother than that of the +chaffinch; for it takes pains to show nothing but the wool, and covers +up all the other materials which it uses." + +"Uncle Philip, do these birds all use the same things to make their +nests?" + +"All use wool, boys; but the truth is, that birds will commonly take +for their nests that article which they can get most easily, if it will +suit. A gentleman, named Bolton, tried this with some goldfinches. He +saw a pair of these birds beginning to build in his garden; they had +laid the foundation of their nest with moss, and grass, and such things, +as they commonly use: he scattered some wool about in different parts of +the garden; the birds took the wool: afterward he scattered cotton; they +took the cotton: on the next day he gave them some very fine down; they +took that, and finished the nest with it, and a very handsome nest it +was." + +"How long were they in making it, Uncle Philip?" + +"Three days. The canary-bird, boys, which you sometimes see in cages, +when free, builds a nest of the same kind. But the most curious +felt-makers among the birds, are in Africa. There is the Cape-tit, +a bird in the southern part of Africa, which builds a very strange +nest: it is shaped like a bottle of India-rubber, as thick as a coarse +worsted stocking, and made of cotton, and down, and other things felted +together. On one side of the nest there is something like a pocket, and +here is a picture of it." + +[Illustration: Nest of the Cape-tit, from Sonnerat.] + +"Uncle Philip, what is that pocket for?" + +"Why, boys, some have supposed that it was for the male bird to sit on +and keep watch, while the female was inside of the nest sitting on the +eggs; but I think this is a mistake. And some have said, that when the +female leaves the nest, and the male wishes to go too, he sits in this +pocket, and beats against the side of the nest with his wing until he +has made the edges of the top meet, and thus shuts up the mouth of the +nest, and keeps off insects and other animals that would eat the young +ones; but I do not believe this story." + +"Then what do you think the pocket is for. Uncle Philip?" + +"I think, boys, that it is nothing but a perch, or place for the bird +to sit on before going into the nest. If the bird had no such place for +stopping, it might be troubled to get into its nest. The mouth is small, +and the bird could not enter it with its wings spread; and if it should +alight on the edge of the nest constantly, it would injure it, for it is +but slightly made. And I will tell you another reason why I think this +is the use of the pocket. There is another bird in South Africa, called +the pinc-pinc, which is the same species of bird as the Cape-tit; and +this bird we know uses its little nest built upon the side of the other +merely as a resting-place before going into the nest." + +"Uncle Philip, does the pinc-pinc build its nest like a bottle, as the +Cape-tit does?" + +"No, boys, not so smooth, but felted in the same way. The nest is +made mostly of the down of plants, and is either snowy white or +brownish, according to the colour of the down. On the outside it is a +clumsy-looking thing, but fastened, like the nest of the chaffinch, +very firmly to the branches near it, so that you cannot take it away +without breaking it to pieces. But rough as the outside is, you would be +astonished, if you were to look at the inside, and see how a bird, and a +small one too, with nothing but its wings, and tail, and feet, and bill +for tools, could ever have worked the down of plants together, so as to +make of it a piece of fine cloth. It has a narrow neck, something like +a chimney, at the top of it. This is the entrance; and at the lower end +of it there is a lump, which appears something like a small nest stuck +on to the larger one; sometimes there will be three or four of these +small-looking nests, and sometimes when there is a branch near the mouth +of the nest which makes a good resting-place, there will be none. Here +is a picture, boys, of the outside of one of these nests. + +[Illustration: Nest of the Pinc-pinc.] + +These birds are easily watched; and a French gentleman, who has written +the best account of the birds of Africa,[11] says that he has found +at least a hundred of these nests, and watched the birds for a whole +morning together, and never saw one sitting on the small nest as a +watch-bird; but has seen both the male and female arrive at the nest +together, perch upon the nearest branch, hop from this upon the edge of +the little nest, and then putting their heads into the hole, dart into +the large nest. And now, boys, what do you think about the use of these +little pockets?" + +"Oh, Uncle Philip, we think that what you tell us is always right, +because you know a great deal more than we do." + +"But, boys, you do not understand me. I may be mistaken, though I do +know more than you. I have been telling you my reasons for thinking +these little pockets are nothing but perches. Do you think the reasons +are good ones?" + +"Why, yes, Uncle Philip, we do. The French gentleman who watched the +birds so much would have seen some of them using the pockets for a place +to keep watch in, if they were made for that." + +"Right, boys. What I wish to teach you is to think for yourselves. +Whenever any one gives you a reason for a thing, just ask yourselves, +'Is this a good reason?'" + +"But, Uncle Philip, how did it happen that the other people who saw +these birds should have said that these pockets were for the male bird +to sit in and watch?" + +"I suppose, boys, that they really thought so; but then they had not +noticed the birds enough to find out the truth. It requires a great +deal of time and patience to find out the truth about animals: and this +is the reason why so many mistakes have been printed about them. It is +a pity that such mistakes have been made; for really there is enough +that is very curious about them, without men's making stories to appear +strange. But I think that there will be fewer mistakes made in future." + +"Why so, Uncle Philip?" + +"Because, boys, men are taking more pains to see for themselves. There +are more naturalists now than there were formerly; and I hope there +will be more still, especially in our own large and beautiful country, +where there have not yet been many. I hope that natural history will be +studied in all our schools before a great while. But let us go back to +our African birds. + +"There is another kind which Mr. Vaillant speaks of, and I will tell you +of that. He calls it the capocier, and he had a very fine opportunity to +watch two of them. It is a bird easily made gentle, and he had managed +by feeding two of them to make them so tame that they would come into +his tent and hop about several times in a day, though he never had them +in a cage. When it became time for them to build a nest, they staid away +for some time, and would come to the tent once only in four or five +days. At last they began to come regularly, as before, and Mr. Vaillant +soon found out what they came for. They had seen upon his table cotton +and moss and flax, which he used to stuff the skins of birds, and which +were always lying there; and the capociers had come for these things, +to build their nest of them. They would take up large bunches of them +in their bills and fly away. Mr. Vaillant followed and watched them to +see the nest built, and found them at work in the corner of a garden, by +the side of a spring, in a large plant which grew under the shade of a +tree. They were building in the fork of the branches, and had laid the +foundation, which was about four inches high and six inches across. This +part was made of moss and flax, mixed with grass and tufts of cotton. +The next day this gentleman never left the side of the nest: the female +was at work building, and the male brought the materials. In the morning +the male bird made twenty-nine journeys to Mr. Vaillant's table for flax +and cotton and moss; and in the afternoon he made seventeen. He would +help his mate to trample down and press the cotton with his body, so +as to make it into felt. Whenever he came with a load, he would put it +either upon the edge of the nest or upon some branch within reach of the +female. + +"After he began to help the female at her work, he would often break +off, and begin to play; and sometimes, as if in mischief, he would pull +down a little of her work. She would get angry, and peck him with her +bill: but he still continued to vex her, until at last, to save her work +from being pulled down, she would stop working, and fly off from bush +to bush, to tease him. They would then make up the quarrel, and she +set about her work, while he would sing most delightfully for several +minutes. After his song was finished, he would go to work again, until +he got into a new fit of mischief and frolic, and then he would torment +her as before. + +"On the third day the birds began to build the walls, after having +repeatedly pressed the bottom, and turned themselves round upon it in +all directions, to make the nest solid. They first made a plain border +all around; this they trimmed, and on it they piled up tufts of cotton, +which they felted in by beating and pressing with their breasts and +wings; and if any part stuck out, they worked it in with their bills, +so as to make all perfectly smooth and firm. And they worked their nest +round the branches near it, just as the chaffinch does. + +"In seven days they finished it. It was as white as snow, and on the +outside it was nine inches high, and not smooth or regular in its shape; +but in the inside it was shaped exactly like a hen's egg, with the small +end up: the hollow was five inches high, and between four and five +inches across; and it was so neatly felted together that it might have +been taken for a piece of fine cloth a little worn; and so close that +you could not take away any part without tearing the nest in pieces. +Here is a picture of the nest, boys, and it is wonderful work for a +small bird." + +[Illustration: Nest of the Capocier, from Vaillant's figure.] + +"Oh, Uncle Philip! we like the capociers very much. When they were tired +of working, they were ready to play; and when they had played enough, +they went back to work. Do not you think there was good sense in that?" + +"Yes, boys, I do: it will not do, either to work all the time or to play +all the time. All that we have to do is to take care that we do not +spend more time than we should at either. But there is a sweet little +bird, boys, quite common in our own country, which makes felt: would you +like to hear of it?" + +"Oh yes, Uncle Philip. What bird is it?" + +[Illustration: Nest of the Humming-bird.] + +"It is the humming-bird. Here is a drawing of its nest. It is about an +inch deep, and an inch across; and from a little distance, appears more +like a small knot upon the branch than like a bird's nest. The outside +of the nest from which this picture is made, was covered with a kind of +bluish-gray lichen, that grows in scales upon old trees and fences: this +seemed to be glued on by the bird in some way or other. The inside was +the felt, and was made of the fine down from seeds that float about in +the air, mixed with the down from mullein-weed and stalks of fine grass. +This, boys, is the smallest nest made by a bird, I believe; and some +insects make larger houses for themselves than this bird does. + +"But I have not time at present to talk with you any longer, as I have +letters to write; and therefore I must bid you good morning." + +"Farewell, Uncle Philip." + + +FOOTNOTE: + +[11] M. Vaillant. + + + + +CONVERSATION XVI. + + _Uncle Philip tells the Boys about Birds that are Weavers; and + about the Politician-bird; and a Story about some Philosophers; and + what may be learned from these Conversations._ + + +"Well, boys, were you pleased enough with our last conversation to wish +to hear more about birds' nests?" + +"Yes, if you please, Uncle Philip. You said something about birds that +were weavers; we should like to hear something of them." + +"Very well, then; I will talk about the weavers this morning. And the +first thing I have to say is that this is no uncommon trade among birds. +Take the nest of any of the common small birds that use hair for a +lining, and you will be apt to find some part of it woven." + +"But, Uncle Philip, you do not mean that birds weave as smoothly and +regularly as people do!" + +"Not quite, boys; but still it is very fair weaving, and done as our +weaving is, by working a hair or thread in and out between other hairs +and threads, or roots, or bits of stick and grass. The best way to see +it, is to remove the outside work of hay or roots very carefully, or to +take away the felt-work of wool or moss, and you may see a round piece +of hair-cloth, sometimes finer, and sometimes coarser, according to the +bird that made it, and the things of which it is made. In the common +sparrow's nest the hair-cloth is very thin, so that you can see through +it easily; but still every hair is woven in singly, and always bent, +so as to lie smooth in the bottom of the nest. And there are no ends +of hairs left sticking out; they are always worked into the moss which +makes the outside of the nest." + +"Uncle Philip, how do the birds make the hairs lie smooth in their +places?" + +"About that, boys, there is some uncertainty. Some persons think that +the birds have a kind of glue in their mouths by which they make them +stick; and others suppose that they wet the hairs, so as to make them +bend. But there are much better weavers than the common sparrow. The +red-breast and the yellow-hammer are both better workmen." + +"Where do they get hairs. Uncle Philip?" + +"They find bunches of them sticking in the cracks of a fence or post +where a horse or cow has been rubbing; and some of these little +creatures, when they find such a bunch, will pull it to pieces, and work +it in, hair by hair." + +"Are there many of these weaver-birds. Uncle Philip?" + +"Yes, boys, a great many: our country is quite full of them. There is +the mountain ant-catcher,[12] which will weave a nest of dry grass, and +wind the blades round the branches of a tree; and the king-bird,[13] +which first makes a basket frame-work of slender sticks, and afterward +weaves in wool and tow, and lines it with hairs and dry grass. There is +another, too, the white-eyed fly-catcher, which some have called the +politician. This bird builds its nest and hangs it up by the upper edge +of the two sides on a vine. The outside is made of pieces of rotten +wood, threads of dry stalks or weeds, pieces of paper, commonly old +newspapers; and all these are woven together with caterpillar's silk, +and lined with fine dry grass and hair." + +"Uncle Philip, why do they call it the politician? What is a politician?" + +"What is commonly called a politician, boys, is a person who is always +reading in newspapers about the government of the country, and talking +a great deal about the President and Congress, and the laws that are +made, and all such things: but the real politician is one who studies +the different kinds of government which have been in the world, and +endeavours to find out which is good and which is bad, and why they are +good or bad. He reads, too, a great deal of history, to learn how other +nations have done, what kind of laws they made, and why they made them, +how they became great nations, or how they became very poor; and he +_thinks_, too, a great deal, that he may find out what will be best for +his own nation. It requires hard study and thought, boys, to make a good +politician." + +"Then, Uncle Philip, a man cannot learn how to be one out of the +newspapers." + +"No, boys; not out of newspapers alone: but still he will read them, +and very often learn from them things very useful to him in his +business. Newspapers are valuable things, and I think it is always best +for a country to have a great many of them spread about in it. But they +will not, of themselves, make a man a politician; and if you should ask +the persons who print them, whether they expect them to teach men all +about governments, they will tell you, No: but they will teach people +what is doing in all the governments in the world. No good government, +boys, will ever be afraid to let the people have newspapers. They are +always fewest where the government is hardest upon the people. But let +us go back to the birds. Can you tell me now why some people call the +fly-catcher a politician?" + +"Oh, yes; because he has so many bits of old newspapers about his nest." + +"That is the reason, boys. There is another kind of fly-catcher, called +the hooded fly-catcher, and it weaves its nest of flax and strings +pulled from the stalks of hemp: but the best weaver in this country +is the Baltimore starling. This bird chooses the ends of high bending +branches for his nest, and he begins in a forked twig, by fastening +strong strings of hemp or flax around both branches of the fork, just +as far apart as he means the width of his nest to be: he then with +the same kind of strings, mixed in with pieces of loose tow, weaves +a strong, firm kind of cloth, which is like the hatter's felt in +appearance, only that you can see that the nest is woven, not felted. +In this way he makes a pouch, or purse, six or seven inches deep, and +lines it on the inside with several soft things, which he weaves into +the outside netting, and finishes the whole with horse-hair. Mr. Wilson +describes one of these nests which he had. He says that it was round +like a cylinder. Do you know what a cylinder is?" + +"No, Uncle Philip." + +"A smooth round pillar to hold up a porch is a cylinder; my walking-cane +is a cylinder; so is the straight body of a tree. When these are of the +same size all through their whole length, they are perfect cylinders; +and any thing in that shape is a cylinder." + +"We understand you, Uncle Philip; a gun-barrel is a cylinder, and there +is a cylinder in your garden." + +"What is it?" + +"The heavy stone roller that you let us pull over the walks." + +[Illustration: Baltimore Starling, and Nest.] + +"Right. Well, this nest was like a cylinder, about five inches across, +and seven inches long. At the top the bird had worked a level cover, so +as to leave a hole only two inches and a half across; at the bottom it +was round. It was made of flax, tow, hemp, hair, and wool, and was woven +into a complete cloth; it was also tightly sewed through and through +with long horse-hairs, some of which when drawn out measured two feet. +Here is a picture of this nest. In the bottom it had bunches of cows' +hair, and these were also sewed down with horse-hairs. This bird, boys, +is a thief." + +"A thief, Uncle Philip! What does it steal?" + +"When I say it is a thief, boys, I mean that it takes what does not +belong to it: but it is not a thief as man is. When a man takes +something which belongs to another person, he _knows_ that it is not +his; and therefore he steals: but the poor bird does not know, and that +makes a difference. You asked me what it steals: I will tell you. At +the time for building its nest, it will take whatever suits for that +purpose; and therefore the country women are obliged to watch their +thread that they have put out to bleach: the farmer, too, who has cut +off young grafts from his fruit-trees and tied them up in bundles, must +be careful, or the bird will pull at the string till he gets it off; and +sometimes, when the bunch is not too large, he will fly off with the +whole. In autumn, when the leaves have fallen, you may sometimes see +skeins of silk and hanks of thread hanging about the starling's nest, +but so woven up and entangled in it that they are good for nothing. Now, +boys, before this country was settled by people from Europe, where do +you suppose the starling got silk and thread for his nest?" + +"Why, Uncle Philip, are you sure he got them at all?" + +"A very sensible question, boys. When you are asked _why_ a thing is so, +it is always well, first to be satisfied that it is so, before you begin +to look for a reason. I have read a story about this very thing: would +you like to hear it?" + +"Oh yes, Uncle Philip." + +"Well, then, I have read that there were once several philosophers +(I told you what a philosopher is, you know), who were in the habit +of meeting together to put questions to each other, and to make new +discoveries. At one of these meetings, one of them asked the others, +'_Why_ a fish weighed more _in_ the water than he did _out_ of it?' +Several of them gave very wise reasons, as they thought; and all the +reasons were different: so they could not agree. There was among them, +however, a very sensible old gentleman, who listened to them all, but +said nothing. When he went home, he got a fish and weighed it, out of +the water, and wrote down its weight; he then took a bucket of water, +and weighed that; and when he dropped the fish in the bucket, he found +that it increased the weight of the whole, precisely as many pounds as +the fish had weighed out of the water; so he found out that there was +no reason why a fish weighed more in the water than he did out of it, +because it was not true: his weight was the same either in or out of it." + +"Ah, Uncle Philip, that is a pleasant story: he was a sensible old +gentleman." + +"Yes, boys, he was; and it was sensible in you to ask first whether the +starling _did use_ silk and thread before Europeans came here; and after +that is answered, it is time enough to ask where he got such things. Now +the truth is, that he _did not_ use them until after Europeans brought +them here; because there were no such things in this country: for the +Indians who lived here could not make thread. I think; and I am sure +they could not spin silk: but I will tell you, boys, what it shows us; +and it is that I wish you to notice." + +"What is it, Uncle Philip?" + +"It is the wisdom of this bird in taking advantage of circumstances. No +doubt he built very good nests long before silk and thread were in the +country; but he had sense enough to know that they were exactly what +suited him, and he used them as soon as he could get them." + +"Then, Uncle Philip, you think that the bird has reason?" + +"No, boys, I do not: but you have reason, and I have something to say +to you about it. It is this: as God has given you reason, and so made +you better than the poor dumb animals, he expects more from you. That is +fair, is it not?" + +"Yes, Uncle Philip; very fair." + +"Then what I wish you to remember is this: that you must use your reason +in such way as to glorify God. He gave it to you to learn his will and +his commandments, and to live accordingly. So now you see the things +which our conversations about the animals can teach us. In the first +place, we see the goodness of God; in the second place, we see the +power of God; in the third place, we see the wisdom of God: and we see +in ourselves that God has done more for us than he has done for them, +and therefore we ought to love and serve him: we ought to believe what +he says in his Word; we ought to pray to him for his blessed help; we +ought, _first of all_, to seek the salvation of our souls, through our +Lord Jesus Christ. + +"Now, my dear children, to-morrow I must leave home for a few weeks; but +when I come back we will talk together again: and as I am going to see +my nephews, I will get a book which they printed about insects; it is +called the History of Insects,[14]--and I will bring it to you; and some +of the largest boys among you may read it aloud, and I will explain to +you what you cannot understand. If you are pleased with what I have been +telling you, that book will tell you a great deal more." + +"Oh, thank you, Uncle Philip. We shall like it very much." + +"Farewell, boys." + +"Good-by, dear Uncle Philip." + + +FOOTNOTES: + +[12] Myiothera obsoleta of Bonaparte. + +[13] Tyrannus intrepidus. + +[14] Family Library, No. VIII.--_Publishers._ + + + + +THE END. + + + + + _Now republishing, on good paper and large type, in 18mo. volumes_, + + + SOCIAL EVILS + AND + THEIR REMEDY. + + A SERIES OF NARRATIVES TO BE PUBLISHED QUARTERLY. + + BY THE + REV. CHARLES B. TAYLER, M.A. + + No. I. + + THE MECHANIC. + + IS NOW REPUBLISHED, AND FOR SALE BY THE BOOKSELLERS. + + "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, + which is Jesus Christ." + +AUTHOR'S ADDRESS + +No doubt can be felt as to the fact, that there are at present many +crying evils in all ranks of society--perhaps there never was a time +when more remedies were proposed. It is, however, a melancholy truth, +that the only remedy is too generally over-looked, or despised. +Remedies, selfish in principle, and selfish in their proposed end, are +held forth and confided in by those who profess to be Christians, and, +as such, dependent on the Great Head of the church. Man is taught how +to live in time, and to be wise for time; but it has become unusual +to refer to that fine old scriptural prayer, "So teach us to number +our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Indeed, the +wisdom desired by too many is that which is so forcibly described by +an apostle's pen, as "earthly, sensual, devilish;" not that wisdom +the attributes of which form the graces of man's new and regenerate +character, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to +be entreated; "full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and +without hypocrisy." + +It is intended, in the series of narratives now advertised, to set +forth, faithfully and simply, the one great principle on which +Christians profess to act. This principle should never be lost sight +of, in any publication addressed by a Christian author to Christian +readers. "Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid," laid by +Infinite Wisdom himself--"which is Christ Jesus." My illustrations will +extend to every class of society; from the highest to the lowest. When +it is found necessary to introduce the subject of political economy, I +shall endeavour to give what seem to me the right views of the subject; +and I shall take care to show, that when political economy cannot be +identified with Christian economy, it ought to occupy a subordinate +place. If it enters society as the servant of Christian principle, it +may be very useful as a servant; but, if it is to teach a man to walk in +the counsel of the ungodly, to speak of its usefulness in a Christian +community is absurd. + +False principles, however taking they may be, for a while, with the +ignorant, or with those who are not deep thinkers, can never stand for +any length of time; and as for the ungodly, we know _Who_ has told us +they are "like the chaff which the wind driveth away." I have undertaken +this work in a spirit of prayer to God for His assistance, and His +blessing. Many of my readers. I am sure, will unite their prayers to +mine, that it may be continued in the same spirit. Some few may object +to this address from a minister of Christ to a Christian community, +and say that it is according to the puritanical cant of the day. I +answer, that such cant (if mere cant) is quite as offensive to me as to +themselves; almost as offensive as the cant of ungodliness; but I cannot +forget those words of solemn warning, from One who, alas, is still the +despised and rejected of many men: "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and +of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him shall the +Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with +the holy angels." + +The second number of "Social Evils," entitled "_The Lady and the Lady's +Maid_," will be republished about the 1st of February, 1834. + + * * * * * + +THEOLOGICAL LIBRARY. + +No. I. The Life of Wiclif. By Charles Webb Le Bas, A.M. + +II. The Consistency of the whole Scheme of Revelation with Itself and +with Human Reason. By Philip Nicholas Shuttleworth, D.D. + +III., IV. Luther and the Lutheran Reformation. By John Scott, A.M. + +V., VI. The Life of Archbishop Cranmer. By Charles Webb Le Bas, A.M. + +VII., VIII. History of the Reformed Religion in France. By Rev. Edward +Smedley, M.A. _In Press._ + + + + + +----------------------------------------------------------------- + + | Transcriber's Note: | + | | + | * Obvious punctuation and spelling errors repaired. | + | | + | * Original spelling and its variations were not standardized. | + | | + | * Original use of quotation marks was left unchanged. | + | | + | * The word "scattered is missing between pages 135 and 136. | + | | + | * "... have got permission from your friends...." This should | + | be "permission from parents," as the context suggests. | + | | + | * Italicized words are surrounded by underline characters, _like | + | this_. Words in bold characters are surrounded by equal signs, | + | =like this=. | + | | + | * Footnotes were moved to the end of the paragraphs to which | + | they applied and numbered in one continuous sequence. | + +------------------------------------------------------------------+ + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Natural History, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44377 *** |