Buffon's Natural history, corrected and enlarged by J. Wright. (To which are added Elements of botany). |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
animal Ants appear base become Bees begins body bottom branches brown building called cells close colour common composed consists contained continue covered danger destroyed direction distinguished divided earth easily eggs entirely equal examined exist extremity eyes feet female fish five flowers former four furnished give grow habitation half head hive hole inches increase insects kind labourers larger latter leaf leaves legs length less live males manner means middle motion mouth nature nest never observed organs particularly perfect plants prey produced queen remains resemble rest root round scales seed seems seen separate Serpent serve shell short side skin sometimes soon species stand stem substance surface tail taken thick trees tribe trunk tubes various vegetable whole wings wood worms young
Popular passages
Page 138 - Bacon, that the words of prophecy are to be interpreted as the words of one 'with whom a thousand years are as one day, and one day as a thousand years.
Page 10 - May to begin their expedition, and then sally out by thousands from the stumps of hollow trees, from the clefts of rocks, and from the holes which they dig for themselves under the surface of the earth. At that time the whole ground is covered with this band of adventurers ; there is no...
Page 69 - Behold him rushing forth from the flags and reeds. His enormous body swells. His plaited tail brandished high, floats upon the lake. The waters like a cataract descend from his opening jaws. Clouds of smoke issue from his dilated nostrils. The earth trembles with his thunder.
Page 202 - Where violent methods will not avail, more gentle means will often succeed; and so it proved in the present case: for, though a spade be too boisterous and rough an implement, a pliant stalk of grass, gently insinuated into the caverns, will probe their windings to the bottom, and quickly bring out the inhabitant; and thus the humane inquirer may gratify his curiosity without injuring the object of it.
Page 249 - I can, without injury to her, or exciting that degree of resentment that may tempt her to sting me, slip her into my other hand, and, returning the hive to its place, hold her there, till the bees missing her, are all on wing, and in the utmost confusion.
Page 11 - The night js their chief time of proceeding; but if it rains by day, they do not fail to profit by the occasion; and they continue to move forward in their slow uniform manner.
Page 100 - These erect and put themselves in motion at the word of command. When their keeper sings a slow tune, they seem by their heads to keep time ; when he sings a quicker measure, they appear to move more brisk and...
Page 319 - These subterraneous passages or galleries are lined very thick wilh the same kind of clay of which the hill is composed, and ascend the inside of the outward shell in a spiral manner, and winding round the whole building up to the top intersect each other at different heights, opening either immediately into the dome in various places, and into the interior building, the new turrets, &c. or communicating thereto by other galleries of different bores or diameters, either circular or oval.
Page 93 - But as we descend into more enlightened antiquity, we find these animals less formidable, as being attacked in a more successful manner. We are told^ that while Regulus led his army along the banks of the river Bagrada in Africa, an enormous serpent disputed his passage over. We are assured by Pliny, -who says that he himself saw the skin, that it was a hundred and twenty feet long, and that it bad destroyed many of the army.
Page 75 - ... exhibit a mourning train, patiently waiting for the water to dry and leave food for them, — and far in the horizon the eagle overtakes a devoted wood-duck, singled from the clouded flocks that have been bred there. It is then that you see and hear the alligator at his work, —each lake has a spot deeper than the rest, rendered so by those animals who work at it, and always situate at the lower end of the lake near the connecting bayous...
Bibliographic information
| Title | Buffon's Natural history, corrected and enlarged by J. Wright. (To which are added Elements of botany). Volume 4 of Buffon's Natural history, corrected and enlarged by J. Wright., Georges Louis Le Clerc (comte de Buffon.) |
| Author | Georges Louis Le Clerc (comte de Buffon.) |
| Editor | John Wright (F.Z.S.) |
| Published | 1831 |
| Original from | Oxford University |
| Digitized | 31 Mar 2006 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |