themselves? If these are not deductions
from their own previous experience or observation, all the actions of
mankind must be resolved into instinct.

3. The dormouse consumes but little of its food during the rigour of the
season, for they roll themselves up, or sleep, or lie torpid the greatest
part of the time; but on warm sunny days experience a short revival, and
take a little food, and then relapse into their former state." (Pennant
Zoolog. p. 67.) Other animals, that sleep in winter without laying up any
provender, are observed to go into their winter beds fat and strong, but
return to day-light in the spring season very lean and feeble. The common
flies sleep during the winter without any provision for their nourishment,
and are daily revived by the warmth of the sun, or of our fires. These
whenever they see light endeavour to approach it, having observed, that by
its greater vicinity they get free from the degree of torpor, that the cold
produces; and are hence induced perpetually to burn themselves in our
candles: deceived, like mankind, by the misapplication of their knowledge.
Whilst many of the subterraneous insects, as the common worms, seem to
retreat so deep into the earth as not to be enlivened or awakened by the
difference of our winter days; and stop up their holes with leaves or
straws, to prevent the frosts from injuring them, or the centipes from
devouring them. The habits of peace, or the stratagems of war, of these
subterranean nations are covered from our view; but a friend of mine
prevailed on a distressed worm to enter the hole of another worm on a
bowling-green, and he presently returned much wounded about his head. And I
once saw a worm rise hastily out of the earth into the sunshine, and
observed a centipes hanging at its tail: the centipes nimbly quitted the
tail, and seizing the worm about its middle cut it in half with its
forceps, and preyed upon one part, while the other escaped. Which evinces
they have design in stopping the mouths of their habitations.

4. The wasp of this country fixes his habitation under ground, that he may
not be affected with the various changes of our climate; but in Jamaica he
hangs it on the bough of a tree, where the seasons are less severe. He
weaves a very curious paper of vegetable fibres to cover his nest, which is
constructed on the same principle with that of the bee, but with a
different material; but as his prey consists of flesh, fruits, and insects,