Chapter IV.--_Food and Death of the Imago._--Vegetable Eaters--Carnivorous Insects--The Tigers to Insects--Fasts of Insects--The Last Duty--Insect Forethought--The Creator's Wisdom and Love--God does not despise Little Things 408 ILLUSTRATIONS.--DIRECTIONS TO BINDER. Egg-rafts of the Gnat 1 Ferocious Larvæ of Dragon-Fly 79 Insects escaping from the Pupa condition 213 Evening Flight of Ephemeræ 307 THE LIFE OF AN INSECT. PART I.--THE EGG. CHAPTER I. THE NEST To look at a house-fly as it performs its figure-of-eight dances in the air of our rooms, or as it buzzes against the window-pane, vainly endeavouring to dash its tender body through the firm and clear glassy wall--to mark how soon it comes into existence, and how soon its little day of life is gone--one would say it is a foolish and trifling thing to write the history of an insect's life; but any one who would thus speak must be ignorant of that which he declares to be folly and trifling. He cannot know the miracles of skill that insects, insignificant as they seem, are capable of performing; nor the astonishing lessons of wisdom which even man may learn from these minute and short-lived beings. So long as we are ignorant of any part of God's creation, we may very probably think light of it; but when we come to inquire into the things we have formerly despised, and will give a patient attention to what we before thought beneath our notice, the tone of our remarks will greatly alter. Now, we shall find in the meanest things formed by the Divine hand inexhaustible themes for wonder and praise, and innumerable proofs that the great Almighty power which built our round world, and countless worlds besides, which fixed them with a firm decree in an appointed course, has not been less displayed even in the formation of a tiny insect, which is this hour alive, and the next lost to being.