THE GNAT. THIS insect is mentioned only in Matt. xxiii. 24, and Bochart has labored to prove that the Greek word means a kind of insect which is bred in the lees of wine, and that ever after lives on acids, avoiding sweets. It may be so, but several writers have stated, that in the East the gnats are extremely numerous, and are very apt to fall into wine, if it be not carefully covered. This may help us to understand the passage to which we have referred, where there is an evident opposition between the gnat which the hypocritical professors of purity are said to strain out, and the camel which they are said to swallow. See page 53. THE MOTH. THIS insect is mentioned in several passages of Scripture, either as destroying by its ravages, or as affording a striking emblem of the fleetness and frailty of human life. The comparison of man, on account of his littleness and the shortness of his life, to a worm, or an insect, is common in the sacred writings; but in no other part of them, nor in any other writings whatsoever, is the metaphor so extensively applied, or so admirably supported, as in the Book of Job. Thus, in the address of Eliphaz to the venerable patriarch :- What, then, are the dwellers in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust? They are crushed before the moth.' chap. iv. 19. To the same purpose the Psalmist expresses himself, when deprecating the judgments of God:-Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity, Selah,' Ps. xxxix. 10, 11. The idea in both these passages seems to be, that as the moth crumbles into dust under the slightest pressure, or the gentlest touch; so man dissolves with equal ease, and vanishes into darkness, under the finger of the Almighty, How sublime is the sentiment, and how expressive the language, in the following passages: they need no comment : Behold, the Lord God will help me ; Fear ye not the reproach of men, Neither be ye afraid of their revilings; For the moth shall cat them up like a garment, But my righteousness shall be forever, And my salvation from generation to generation.-ch. li. 7, 8. In Job xxvii. 18, there is another reference to this insect, deserving of notice. Speaking of the oppressors of the poor, the afflicted patriarch says:-'He buildeth his house like a moth, or like a shed which the watchman contriveth.' That is, feeble in its structure and materials, short in its duration, and equally incapable of resisting a thunder-storm or a shower of rain. So, in chap. viii. 14:'Thus, shall his support rot away, and the BUILDING OF THE SPIDER be his reliance.' The genus phalæna, or moth, is divided into plantmoths and cloth-moths; the latter have generally been supposed to be those immediately alluded to in this passage. This is doubtful, but the question is not of consequence; the house or building referred to is that provided by the insect in its larve or caterpillar state, as a temporary residence during its wonderful change, from a chrysalis to a winged or perfect insect. The slightness of this habitation is well known to every one who has attended to the curious operations of the silk-worm, or the tribes indigenous to the plants of our own country. Of these, some construct a solitary dwelling, while others are gregarious, vast numbers residing together under one common web, marshalled with the most exact regularity. The web of the cloth-moth is formed of the very substance of the cloth on which it reposes, devoured for this purpose, and afterwards worked into a tubular case, with open extremities, and generally approaching to the color of the cloth by which the worm is nourished. Among the injunctions which our Saviour impressed on the minds of his disciples, in his inimitable sermon, in Matthew, chap. vi., we find one in which there is a reference to the insatiable voracity of the moth: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,' &c. ver. 19, 20. The destruction which they very frequently occasion among woollen clothes, in our own country, is well known to almost every person, but in the East there are different species of this insect, and some of a kindred description, of whose ravages we cau form but a very imperfect conception, SHAKSPEARE, Our great poet, has admirably described the laws and order of a community of these industrious, useful, and well known insects. To attempt even an outline of the natural history of the bee would occupy more space than can be devoted to this entire article; we must, therefore, refer the reader who is desirous of the information, to other works, and proceed to notice those passages of Scripture in which it is spoken of, and which require elucidation. In Judges xiv. 8, we are informed that Samson on inspecting the carcass of a lion which he had some time previously killed, found that a swarm of bees had taken up their residence in it. We notice the circumstance, because it has been supposed to contradict the statement of Aristotle and other eminent naturalists, who affirm that bees will not alight upon a dead carcass, nor taste the flesh; that they will never sit down in an unclean place, nor upon any thing which emits an unpleasant smell. The variance between this statement and that of the sacred writer, is, however, only apparent. The frequently occurring phrase introduced into this text-after a time,' shows that the circumstance referred to was long posterior to the death of the animal, whose body, from an exposure to beasts and birds of prey, and the violent heat of the sun, was reduced to a mere skeleton, and divested of all effluvia. That bees have swarmed in dry bones we have the testimony of Herodotus, of Seranus, and of Aldrovandus. Indeed, as bones in their nature, when dry, are exceedingly dry, there is no more to be said against such a place of residence than against the same among rocks and stones. Some writers have contended that bees are destitute of the sense of hearing; but their opinion is entirely without foundation. This will appear, if any proof were necessary, from the following prediction: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost parts of the rivers of Egypt; and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria,' Isaiah vii. 18. The allusion which this text involves, is to the practice of calling out the bees from their hives by a hissing or whistling sound, to their labor in the fields, and summoning them again to return when the heavens begin to lower, or the shadows of evening to fall. In this manner, Jehovah threatens to arouse the enemies of Judah, and lead them to the prey. However widely scattered, or far remote from the scene of action, they should hear his voice, and with as much promptitude as the bee, that has been taught to recognize the signal of its owner, and obey his call, they should assemble their forces; and although weak and insignificant as a swarm of bees in the estimation of a proud and infatuated people, they should come with irresistible might, and take possession of the rich and beautiful region that had been abandoned by its terrified inhabitants. The allusion of Moses to the attack of the Amorites, which involves a reference to the irritable and revengeful disposition of the bee is both just and beautiful: And the Amorites which dwelt in that mountain came out against you, and chased you as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah,' Deut. i. 44. Every person who has seen a swarm of disturbed bees, will easily conceive the fierce hostility and implacable fury of the enemies of Israel, which this expression is intended to denote. The same remarks will apply to Psalm xviii. 12, in which there is a similar allusion. The surprising industry of the bee has, from the earliest times, furnished man with a delicious and useful article, in the honey which it produces. This was very common in Palestine. In Exod. iii. 8, &c. the circumstance of its flowing with milk and honey is selected as a striking proof of its being the glory of all lands; and in Deut. xxxii. 13, and Ps. lxxxi. 16, the inhabitants are said to have sucked honey out of the rocks. With this agree 2 Sam. xiv. 25; Matt. iii. 4, &c. and the testimony of intelligent travellers. Hasselquist says, that between Acra and Nazareth, great numbers of wild bees breed, to the advantage of the inhabitants; and Maundrel observes, that when in the great plain near Jericho, he perceived in many places a smell of honey and wax, as strong as if he had been in an apiary. It is reasonably supposed, however, that the honey mentioned in some of these passages was not the produce of bees, but a sweet syrup produced by the date-tree, which was common in Palestine, and which is known to have furnished an article of this description. There is also in some parts of the East, a kind of honey which collects upon the leaves of the trees, something like dew, and which is gathered by the inhabitants in considerable quantities. It is very sweet when fresh, but turns sour after being kept two days. The Arabs eat it with butter; they also put it into their gruel, and use it in rubbing their water skins, for the purpose of excluding the air. It is collected in the months of May and June; and some persons assured our traveller that the same substance was likewise produced by the thorny tree Tereshresh at the same time of the year. Honey was prohibited as an offering on the altar, under the Levitical dispensation, (Lev. ii. 11,) but its first-fruits were to be presented for the support of the priests, ver. 12. Some writers have supposed that these first-fruits were of the honey of the date, but such an interpretation is forced and unnatural: the articles intended in verse 12, are obviously tlie same as those which are specified in the preceding verse. Honey newly taken out of the comb has a peculiar delicacy of flavor, which will in vain be sought for, after it has been for any length of time expressed or clarified. This will help to explain the energy of expression adopted by the Psalmist, when speaking of the divine laws: 'More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and the droppings of honey-combs,' Ps. xix. 10. A fine lesson on the necessity of moderation is taught by Solomon, Prov. xxv. 16: 'Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith and vomit it.' Upon this passage, Harris has cited the following observations of Dr. Knox: Man, indeed, may be called a bee in a figurative style. In search of sweets, he roams in various regions, and ransacks every inviting flower. Whatever displays a beautiful appearance solicits his notice, and conciliates his favor, if not his affection. He is often deceived by the vivid color and attractive form, which instead of supplying honey, produce the rankest poison; but he perseveres in his researches, and if he is often disappointed, he is also often successful. The misfortune is, that when he has found honey, he enters upon the feast with an appetite so voracious that he usually destroys his own delight by excess and satiety. THE ANT, THE ant has been famous, from all antiquity, for its social and industrious habits, and for its spirit of subordination. It is as a pattern of parsimony to the profuse; and of unremitting diligence to the sluggard, Prov. vi. 6. In Prov. xxx. 25, the ant is spoken of as one of the four diminutive things upon earth, which are exceeding wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their neat in the summer;' an expression usually understood of their laying up stores of provision in summer against approaching winter; an opinion generally entertained by the ancients, though modern naturalists question the fact. Till the manners of exotic ants are more accurately explored, however, it would be rash to affirm that no ants have magazines of |