pletion of the whole. If a tree is stripped of its leaves, it will soon become dry, decay and wither. The same thing will happen with all other plants; they possess nothing superfluous, nothing that is not useful, or that does not tend to the perfection of the whole.

When we view this beautiful connexion, harmony, and arrangement, throughout the vegetable kingdom, and see that the whole is regulated by general laws, though differently applied, must we not immediately and without hesitation acknowledge, that the Author of all these beauties is a being of a superior nature, enjoying a supreme power and wisdom? This will be the necessary conclusion of every one capable of thinking, and justly weighing causes and effects. Let us then raise our souls towards our heavenly Creator, who is every-where visible in his works, and whose wisdom shines in the smallest blade of grass. He who accustoms himself to reflections of this nature will be more sensible of the pleasures of summer, and feel more life and joy from the beauteous objects it presents to his view. The more we contemplate the works of nature, the more shall we admire the wisdom of God; and the more we reverence his wisdom, the greater will be the pleasure we shall derive from the contemplation of natural objects.

JUNE XIX.

Hymn of Thanksgiving for the Works of Nature.

To thee, O Lord, from whom all blessings proceed, and who dispensest them with a liberal hand, to thee belong glory, honour, and thanksgiving. Thou hearest the cries of the young raven, and delightest in the song of the lark; be pleased to hearken also unto my voice, and receive the praises of a grateful heart. The

least of thy creatures proclaims thy wisdom, and the traces of thy goodness and power beheld from one end of the year to the other are continually renewing.

With the tenderness of a father thou providest for the wants of all thy creatures, and givest them their proper food. The returning sun, as he daily illumes the eastern horizon, witnesses the endless succession of thy benefits, showered down in profusion upon all created nature. O God, who is like unto thee!

Teach me, O Lord, how to praise thee with acceptance, and incline my heart to love thee, that henceforth I may only live for Him who loadeth me with blessings.

It is in thy name, and in the hope of thy blessing, that the husbandman commits his grain to the furrow. It is thou who formest the seed, and enduest it with fertility. The earth, which once was cursed by the sins of mankind, blessed again by its Creator, now brings forth an abundance of fruits.

Thou causest the fertilising rains to descend upon the furrows of the field; thou clothest the meadows, the valleys, and the plains, with flowers, herbs, and groves; and thou directest the cool and refreshing dew to revive our gardens and fields, and to shed upon them fertility and abundance.

The dry and parched land thou waterest with beneficent rains; the wet and cold places thou warmest with the cheering rays of the sun: thou orderest the seasons and the weather with wisdom, and disposest them in the manner most beneficial to mankind; and amidst every vicissitude of heat and cold, of rains and drought, we still see grow, flourish, and ripen, the food which thy goodness has destined for us.

Thou coverest our fields with rich harvests, and the wings of the wind make the yellow ears undulate; thou beautifiest the summit of the dry rock with the clustering grape; thou biddest the clover

spring up in our pastures, and at thy desire the fountains and the rivulets refresh the thirsty animals.

Thou causest the tree to take root, and makest it flourish; a vivifying sap circulates through the trunk and branches, and gives them strength to push forth leaves and blossoms; and the fruit, which bends down the branches, shows how much thou delightest in doing good.

Let us then ascribe all glory and praise to our Creator and Benefactor; let us bless and celebrate his name in songs of joy, and attune his mercy in hymns of gratitude: for great is the eternal God, holy and wonderful are all his works, he is all pure and good, and the righteous for ever shall sing his praises.

JUNE XX.

Caterpillars.

CATERPILLARS form a very beautiful part of the creation; though from generally living upon our trees, they are disliked by the cultivators of gardens, and are seldom considered as objects of attention; many people indeed only notice them for their destruction. But if we investigate their nature, and observe them minutely, perhaps we shall find cause to admire them; and our curiosity being awakened by their appearance, we may be less disposed to trample under our feet an insect whose structure is so wonderful, and which will lead the properly reflecting mind to consider the Creator of all living things.

The species of this insect already known are more than three hundred, and new ones are daily discovered, all differing in colour, form, propensities, and modes of life; but they have in common the an

nular structure, or the being composed of several rings, which, elongating and contracting, facilitate the moving of the body from one part to another. They have two kinds of feet, each of which has its particular use. The six fore feet form a sort of hooks, with which they cling to, or lay hold of, objects; the termination of the hinder feet is broad, and armed with small-pointed nails. With the hooks, they draw up the leaves, grass, and other nourishment; and by these fix the fore part of the body till they have drawn up the hinder part. The hinder feet they use to hold themselves fast, and to grasp whatever they rest upon. When upon a twig or a leaf, they can seize another at a considerable distance; for, hooking their hinder feet upon whatever they rest, they elevate the fore part of the body, standing almost erect, move in all directions, poise themselves in the air, and turn round, reach their food, and hold it with their hooks. However well the body of the caterpillar is adapted to its necessities, its state is very transitory; its limbs last only a short time; and this creeping worm soon becomes a chrysalis without feet and without motion, till it becomes a winged inhabitant of the air.

From this circumstance only, caterpillars should claim some share of our attention. Towards the end of summer, and frequently sooner, after being satiated with verdure, and having changed their skins more than once, they cease to eat, and begin to construct a habitation, where they leave the caterpillar state, and are transformed into butterflies; this place of shelter is called the chrysalis, and is of an oval form; towards the extremity are rings, which continue diminishing till they are lost in a point. The chrysalis is full of milky fluid, which supplies the infant butterfly with nourishment till it comes out. When it is completely formed, and its parts have acquired a proper degree of consistence, and a gentle warmth invites it forth from its prison, it forces a passage through the

largest end, which is at the same time the thinnest part of the chrysalis. Its head, which was always directed towards this end, disengages itself, the antennæ project and lengthen, the feet and wings extend, and the insect flies away, retaining nothing of its former shape: the caterpillar which was changed into a chrysalis, and the chrysalis which became a butterfly, being quite different creatures. The one is rough, hairy, and sometimes of a disagreeable aspect; the other is decked in the most beautiful colours: the one is doomed to crawl upon the earth, while the other lightly skims from flower to flower, and delicately sips their nectareous sweets.

Perhaps this description will conquer the aversion that some people have to these insects, and reconcile them with their existence; but perhaps there will yet be many who will ask for what purpose insects, which devour the leaves, and occasion the trees to be blighted, were created? To such I answer that they are necessary links in the great chain of animal life; and without them the world would be less perfect than it is. Destroy them entirely, and you would deprive the birds of a most plentiful source of nourishment; and surely, if birds are destined to feed upon caterpillars, whatever be our loss, we cannot with justice exclude these insects from feeding upon leaves. And even if we cannot comprehend the reason why God formed such creatures, surely we ought not to assert that they are useless; we should rather acknowledge our ignorance, and bow before him who is allwise.