The life of an insect [signed R.E.].

Front Cover
1849
 

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 90 - And may at last my weary age Find out the peaceful hermitage, The hairy gown and mossy cell Where I may sit and rightly spell Of every star that heaven doth shew, And every herb that sips the dew ; Till old experience do attain To something like prophetic strain.
Page 93 - I am lord of the fowl and the brute. 0 solitude! where are the charms That sages have seen in thy face ? Better dwell in the midst of alarms, Than reign in this horrible place. 1 am out of humanity's reach, I must finish my journey alone, Never hear the sweet music of speech, I start at the sound of my own.
Page 379 - A little rule, a little sway, A sunbeam in a winter's day, Is all the proud and mighty have Between the cradle and the grave.
Page 31 - Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand ; a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
Page 267 - But cawing rooks, and kites that swim sublime In still repeated circles, screaming loud, The jay, the pie, and e'en the boding owl, That hails the rising moon, have charms for me. Sounds inharmonious in themselves and harsh, Yet heard in scenes where peace for ever reigns, And only there, please highly for their sake.
Page 210 - ... circle round each other without contention, each in his sphere, and with no apparent object, from morning until night, with great sprightliness and animation ; and so lightly do they move on the fluid, as to form only some faint and transient circles on its surface. Very fond of society, we seldom see them alone, or, if parted by accident, they soon rejoin their busy companions. One pool commonly affords space for the amusement of several parties ; yet they do not unite or contend, but perform...
Page 169 - The bees came out in immense numbers, and attacked men and beasts at the same time. Luckily, most of the asses were loose, and galloped up the valley ; but the horses and people were very much stung, and obliged to scamper in all directions. The fire which had been kindled for cooking, having been deserted, spread and set fire to the bamboos; and our baggage had like to have been burnt.
Page 27 - They were observed never to settle, but proceeded in a direction from north-west to southeast. No buildings seemed to stop them from steadily pursuing their course ; which being to the ocean, at only a small distance, they must consequently perish. It is remarked that at this time no other kind of butterfly is a Naturforsch.
Page 138 - A mighty pomp, though made of little things. Their arms, their arts, their manners, I disclose, And how they war, and whence the people rose. Slight is the subject, but the praise not small, If Heaven assist, and Phoebus hear my call.
Page 16 - The first step is to raise recruits : — with this view they eagerly accost several fellow citizens of their own order, caress them with their antennae, lead them by their mandibles, and evidently appear to propose the journey to them. If they seem disposed to accompany them, the recruiting officer, for so he may be called, prepares to carry off his recruit, who, suspending himself upon his mandibles, hangs coiled up spirally under his neck ; — all this passes in an amicable manner after mutual...

Bibliographic information