In these two cases, who can withhold his admiration of the ingenuity and judgement of the bees? _In the first case_, a troublesome creature gained admission into the hive, which, from its unwieldiness, they could not remove, and which, from the impenetrability of its shell, they could not destroy: here then their only resource was to deprive it of loco-motion, and to obviate putrefaction; both which objects they accomplished most skilfully and securely,--and, as is usual with these sagacious creatures, at the least possible expense of labour and materials. They applied their cement, where alone it was required, namely, round the verge of the shell. _In the latter case_, to obviate the evil of putrescence, by the total exclusion of air, they were obliged to be more lavish in the use of their embalming material, and to form with it so complete an incrustation or case over the "slime-girt giant," as to guard them from the consequences which the atmosphere invariably produces upon all animal substances, that are exposed to its action after life has become extinct. May it not be asked, What means more effectual could human wisdom have devised, under similar circumstances? Indeed, many of the proceedings of bees and other associated insects seem traceable to a reasoning power; for they exhibit an adaptation of means to ends, and vary them to suit particular emergencies,--the judicious performance of actions with a view to some proposed end, is the criterion by which we judge of rationality. On the other hand, the difficulty of ascribing some of their actions to any other principle than that which is known by the name of _Instinct_, has led to a classification of the whole of their proceedings under _that_ head. +Instinct+ is a faculty the exercise of which implies an exquisitely fine mechanism of some of the senses. It appears to operate independently of all anticipation of consequences; the avenues to knowledge are, to be sure, less circuitous in these and other animals than in man, neither experience nor inductive reasoning seem to be at all essential to the perfection of their operations; they may be said to have, what many an indolent human being has wished to find,--a royal road to knowledge. "If in the Insect, Reason's twilight ray Sheds on the darkling mind a doubtful day. Plain is the steady light her _Instincts_ yield. To point the road o'er life's unvaried field; If few those Instincts, to the destin'd goal, With surer course, their straiten'd currents roll." +Evans.+