[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."